Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., led the filing of the Mobile Accuracy and Precision (Map) Broadband Act (S-2955) in response to concerns about the accuracy of the data the FCC has been collecting for its broadband coverage maps. All three senators raised concerns about mapping accuracy during a March Senate Communications Subcommittee on broadband provisions in President Donald Trump's infrastructure legislative proposal (see 1803130056). S-2955 would revamp the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF II) challenge process, including via provisions that would extend the deadline for carriers and state and local governments to file challenges until Nov. 27. The bill would also require the FCC to publish monthly updates on the challenge process. “Many competitive carriers serve rural or hard-to-reach areas of the country and rely on critical MF II support to serve their customers and expand their networks,” said Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry. “The challenge process is a key part of the MF II program and the MAP Broadband Act will help ensure unserved and underserved areas, especially those in rural America, are not left behind in the digital world.” The FCC updated its MF II map last week but said the updates “do not alter the eligibility status of 99.87 percent of the total area” on the first map.

CTA, the National Retail Federation and 50 other trade groups from various industries want the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to “immediately make public” the details of the Trade Act Section 301 "process" it will use to add more Chinese-sourced products to the proposed 25 percent tariffs list, if it heeds the suggestions of "several stakeholders” to do so, they said in comments posted Thursday in docket USTR-2018-0005. “We strongly believe there needs to be additional public input for any products that USTR is considering adding to the proposed list,” said the comments, which also were signed by the Information Technology Industry Council, the Internet Association and the Telecommunications Industry Association.

Expect a Senate Judiciary Committee markup on the Music Modernization Act (S-2823) as early as mid-June, with plans of moving forward with the copyright package as originally introduced, despite an alternative bill floated by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., industry observers told us (see 1805230068). Broad support for the original package means the bill should move quickly, bill sponsors said (see 1805110056).

Expect a Senate Judiciary Committee markup on the Music Modernization Act (S-2823) as early as mid-June, with plans of moving forward with the copyright package as originally introduced, despite an alternative bill floated by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., industry observers told us (see 1805230068). Broad support for the original package means the bill should move quickly, bill sponsors said (see 1805110056).

CTA, the National Retail Federation and 50 other trade groups from various industries want the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to “immediately make public” the details of the Trade Act Section 301 "process" it will use to add more Chinese-sourced products to the proposed 25 percent tariffs list, if it heeds the suggestions of "several stakeholders” to do so, they said in comments posted Thursday in docket USTR-2018-0005. “We strongly believe there needs to be additional public input for any products that USTR is considering adding to the proposed list,” said the comments, which also were signed by the Information Technology Industry Council, the Internet Association and the Telecommunications Industry Association.

CTA, the National Retail Federation and 50 other trade groups from various industries want the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to “immediately make public” the details of the Trade Act Section 301 "process" it will use to add more Chinese-sourced products to the proposed 25 percent tariffs list, if it heeds the suggestions of "several stakeholders” to do so, they said in comments posted Thursday in docket USTR-2018-0005. “We strongly believe there needs to be additional public input for any products that USTR is considering adding to the proposed list,” said the comments, which also were signed by the Information Technology Industry Council, the Internet Association and the Telecommunications Industry Association.

The White House will resume plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on some $50 billion worth of goods from China, potentially affecting life sciences imports, it announced on May 29. The proposed list of tariff subheadings targets pharmaceuticals, medical devices and optical equipment, among other products. The announcement came slightly over a week after the Trump administration said it would put the Section 301 tariffs on hold while the U.S. and China formalize a deal between the countries (see 1805210029). A final list will be announced by June 15 and "tariffs will be imposed on those imports shortly thereafter," the White House said.

The White House will resume plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on some $50 billion worth of goods from China, it announced on May 29. The announcement came slightly over a week after the Trump administration said it would put the Section 301 tariffs on hold while the U.S. and China formalize a deal between the countries (see 1805210029). A final list will be announced by June 15 and "tariffs will be imposed on those imports shortly thereafter," the White House said.

Expect a Senate Judiciary Committee markup on the Music Modernization Act (S-2823) as early as mid-June, with plans of moving forward with the copyright package as originally introduced, despite an alternative bill floated by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., industry observers told us (see 1805230068). Broad support for the original package means the bill should move quickly, bill sponsors said (see 1805110056).

A Comcast play for Fox nonbroadcast assets might carry less antitrust risk than Disney's bid for Fox assets, wrote International Center for Law and Economics Executive Director Geoffrey Manne in an issue brief Wednesday. Comcast said Wednesday it was preparing a bid for the Fox assets (see 1805230019). Comcast/Fox would be largely vertical, while Disney/Fox would be predominantly horizontal, and it's generally easier to get antirust approval for vertical deals, he said. That DOJ is challenging AT&T/Time Warner doesn't mean the agency has become more hostile to vertical deals overall, he said, saying the foreclosure effects that were a big part of DOJ's harm theory in AT&T/TW would be smaller or non-existent in Comcast/Fox. He said the theatrical film market is "undeniably competitive," with Disney as the largest major studio having 22 percent of the market last year. He said Comcast being an ISP as well as cable service cuts anticompetitive risks because New Comcast would have a bigger incentive to license content to even rival online video providers and drive broadband service. Meanwhile, Disney/Fox would give Disney a considerably large share of box office proceeds and link Fox's regional sports networks with Disney's ESPN, raising the risk New Disney would act anticompetitively on sports programming.