Europe doesn't appear to be looking into communication companies' ties with Russia beyond sanctioning Russia Today and Sputnik, stakeholders said.

The Court of International Trade sustained all of the Commerce Department's positions in a countervailing duty investigation on wind towers from Canada, spurning a slew of litigants in the case ranging from the Canadian government to a U.S. wind tower trade group. In the March 18 opinion made public March 23, Judge Gary Katzmann sided with Commerce on all five issues under contention.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania dismissed a case brought by steel company NLMK Pennsylvania and Indiana alleging that U.S. Steel lied to the Commerce Department to get NLMK's requests for exclusions from Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs denied. Judge William Stickman said it's unclear whether NLMK submitted a viable claim of unfair competition under Pennsylvania state law, but even if it did, federal law preempts the claim (NLMK Pennsylvania v. U.S. Steel Corporation, W.D. Pa. #21-00273).

A study sponsored by the American Apparel and Footwear Association said 17 of 47 products didn't comply with U.S. product safety standards, and some had dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium or phthalates, a type of plastic.

The Court of International Trade in a March 18 opinion made public March 23 sustained the Commerce Department's final determination in the countervailing duty investigation on utility scale wind towers from Canada. Addressing the five issues raised by the plaintiffs, Judge Gary Katzmann said Commerce permissibly excluded plaintiff Marmen's foreign auditor's foreign currency adjustment as unreliable, reasonably found the Quebec Local Content Requirement provided a recurring benefit and acted within its authority to find that the Quebec On-the-Job Training tax credit was a de facto subsidy. Commerce also legally excluded some increased tax liabilities and acted lawfully when finding the financial benefit from additional depreciation for buildings used in manufacturing, Katzmann said.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., led filing Thursday of the 988 Implementation Act to solidify federal funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and provide money for local call centers and related resources. The measure would allocate $240 million to the hotline for fiscal years 2023-2027 and $441 million for the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to regional and local crisis centers for tech improvements and hiring additional staff. “When people start calling 988 this July, they must be connected to the proper assistance they need, with the urgency and support they deserve,” Cardenas said. “For this to truly be a life-saving alternative to 911, there must be someone to call, someone to come and somewhere to go.” It “will bolster the behavioral health crisis continuum of care nationwide and ensure that the lifesaving 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline is successfully implemented,” said co-sponsor Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. Cardenas’ office cited support from more than 100 groups, including the American Psychiatric Association and National Association of Counties. A trio of Democratic senators raised concerns last year about CTIA lobbying states on capping 988 fees (see 2107150063).

A Tennessee bill to regulate social media as common carriers cleared the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee in a voice vote Wednesday. The bill, which goes next to the Commerce Committee, would authorize the Tennessee Public Utilities Commission to probe and fine social websites for “intentionally deplatforming or shadow banning a user … if the basis of such action is rooted in political ideology, viewpoint discrimination, personal animus, or discrimination because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin,” said a HB-2369 summary. The bill responds to outrage from constituents banned by Big Tech, said sponsor Rep. Dennis Powers (R). Websites are censoring misinformation even though Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act restricts only obscene, lewd, filthy, excessively violent, harassing or objectionable things, said Rep. Jason Zachary (R): “Misinformation is not part of that.” Treating sites as common carriers is a good way to keep the bill from running into legal trouble faced by similar Texas and Florida laws, he said. Some members raised concerns. Rep. Dwayne Thompson (D) said he doesn’t like the government stepping on private businesses. Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R) appreciates the goal but worries about ceding so much control to the PUC and allowing the agency to levy large fines, she said. The Senate Commerce Committee cleared companion bill SB-2161 Tuesday (see 2203160053).

A Tennessee bill to regulate social media as common carriers cleared the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee in a voice vote Wednesday. The bill, which goes next to the Commerce Committee, would authorize the Tennessee Public Utilities Commission to probe and fine social websites for “intentionally deplatforming or shadow banning a user … if the basis of such action is rooted in political ideology, viewpoint discrimination, personal animus, or discrimination because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin,” said a HB-2369 summary. The bill responds to outrage from constituents banned by Big Tech, said sponsor Rep. Dennis Powers (R). Websites are censoring misinformation even though Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act restricts only obscene, lewd, filthy, excessively violent, harassing or objectionable things, said Rep. Jason Zachary (R): “Misinformation is not part of that.” Treating sites as common carriers is a good way to keep the bill from running into legal trouble faced by similar Texas and Florida laws, he said. Some members raised concerns. Rep. Dwayne Thompson (D) said he doesn’t like the government stepping on private businesses. Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R) appreciates the goal but worries about ceding so much control to the PUC and allowing the agency to levy large fines, she said. The Senate Commerce Committee cleared companion bill SB-2161 Tuesday (see 2203160053).

A Democratic bill announced Wednesday would allow antitrust enforcers to automatically block transactions valued at more than $5 billion. Introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act would allow the FTC, DOJ and state attorneys general to unwind anticompetitive deals dating back to 2000, if the acquisition resulted in a market share larger than 50% of any relevant market or if it brought “material harm” to the competitive process. Tech industry groups opposed the proposal. “Instead of arbitrarily barring certain transactions, Congress should instead provide the resources necessary for the FTC and DOJ to do the job they are charged with: protecting competition and consumers,” said Computer & Communications Industry Association President Matt Schruers. For “emerging businesses looking to be acquired, this bill would compel them to either raise prices, lower quality, or lay off workers to remain competitive,” said NetChoice CEO Steve DelBianco.

House Communications Subcommittee members are continuing to wrestle with whether and how to package legislation to reauthorize the FCC’s spectrum auction authority with other related policy matters. Witnesses at a Wednesday hearing on those issues urged Congress to quickly renew the FCC’s sales authority and cited a range of other matters lawmakers should simultaneously consider, including directing proceeds to pay for other telecom projects and addressing interagency disputes on frequency allocations (see 2203150069).