Europe needs better connectivity to compete globally, speakers said Wednesday at a discussion on the bloc's digital future. They cited former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's Sept. 9 competitiveness report, which, among other things, urged the EU to "profoundly refocus its collective efforts on closing the innovation gap with the US and China, especially in advanced technologies."
Industry experts expect the FCC will petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiori following the split rulings between the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the 6th and 11th circuits on the Universal Service Fund contribution mechanism, they said during a Schools, Health, Libraries & Broadband Coalition webinar Wednesday. The 5th Circuit sided with Consumers' Research in its challenge of the contribution mechanism and agreed to stay its ruling pending the commission's petition (see 2408270030).
The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body on Sept. 23 agreed to establish a dispute panel in China's challenge of certain U.S. tax credits for electric vehicles under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ahead of the Sept. 23 meeting of the DSB, China submitted a second request for a dispute settlement panel to assess whether the tax credits violate WTO rules.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a privacy bill the same day that he signed a measure aimed at protecting children on social media websites. On Monday, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) applauded Newsom’s veto of a privacy bill on Friday that would have required global opt-outs in web browsers and mobile operating systems. But Consumer Reports slammed the decision to kill the bill that was sought by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA). Meanwhile, CCIA slammed his signing of legislation meant to reign in algorithms on social platforms.
The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body on Sept. 23 agreed to establish a dispute panel in China's challenge of certain U.S. tax credits for electric vehicles under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ahead of the Sept. 23 meeting of the DSB, China submitted a second request for a dispute settlement panel to assess whether the tax credits violate WTO rules.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is making changes to its list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes the agency plans to implement Phase VII of the Lacey Act provisions.
Four Republican lawmakers urged the Biden administration Sept. 19 to carry out two new Iran sanctions laws, both of which have deadlines that already passed.
The U.S. on Sept. 18 brought various claims against the two Singaporean businesses that owned and operated the vessel that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, DOJ announced. The lawsuit looks to recover over $100 million in costs the U.S. incurred over the course of its response to the "fatal disaster" and for "clearing the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel so the port could reopen" (In the Matter of the Petition of Grace Ocean Private Limited, D. Md. # 24-00941).
Statutory language in the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act allowed the FCC to act against those responsible for illegal voice-cloning in the New Hampshire presidential primary election (see 2408210039), Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday.
House Oversight Committee Democrats tussled with Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr during a Thursday hearing over his responses to their questions about former President Donald Trump’s call to revoke ABC’s licenses over the network’s handling of his Sept. 10 presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris (see 2409110058). House Oversight Democrats also repeatedly highlighted that Carr wrote the telecom chapter of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy agenda (see 2407050015). Panel Republicans focused on amplifying Carr’s criticism of NTIA’s implementation of the $42.5 billion broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program (see 2408070023).