Implementing proposed 988 outage reporting requirements shouldn't be very onerous, Jonathan Gilad, National Emergency Number Association government affairs director, told us, predicting 4-0 approval of the draft order on the FCC's agenda (see 2306290056). CTIA didn't comment, and there hasn't been lobbying on the docket 23-5 draft order. It will take years of 988 promotion and use before the Lifeline has the kind of recognition and automatic use that 911 does, speakers said Thursday at an event sponsored in Washington by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) marking a year since 988's official rollout. "‘911 didn't start off with instant success either; it takes a while," said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. HHS said Thursday it's adding Spanish-language text and chat services to Lifeline.
U.S. District Court Judge Brantley Starr granted EDN Global’s motion for consideration to file a first amended complaint (FAC) in its breach of contract lawsuit (docket 3:23-cv-00355) against AT&T, said his Tuesday order in U.S. District Court for Northern Texas in Dallas. Plaintiffs articulated a non-conclusory reason it’s necessary -- “to base the complaint on Texas law” -- Starr’s order said. In a separate order, he found "moot" AT&T’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.
President Joe Biden this week renewed a national emergency authorizing certain sanctions related to hostage-takers and those who wrongfully detain U.S. nationals abroad. The sanctions were renewed for another year from July 19. The Treasury Department earlier this week issued rules implementing the Hostages and Wrongful Detention Sanctions Regulations, which were ordered by the president in an executive order last year (see 2307100009 and 2207190045).
The State Department’s recently published spring 2023 regulatory agenda continues to mention rules that will update export controls for items on the U.S. Munitions List and make other changes to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Senate Democratic officials and other observers now believe it's a matter of when, not if, the chamber will confirm FCC nominee Anna Gomez and renominated Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks after the Commerce Committee advanced them Wednesday, all on non-unanimous voice votes, as expected (see 2307110071). Backers of Gomez and Starks and other observers cited unified committee Democratic support for Gomez and Starks as a sign they may get unanimous caucus backing on the floor. At least one of the four Commerce Republicans who didn't oppose the Democratic nominees Wednesday plans to vote for them on the floor.
President Joe Biden this week renewed a national emergency authorizing certain sanctions related to Hong Kong. The White House said "recent actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy" continue to threaten U.S. national security. The sanctions were renewed for another year from July 14.
One of the “central prerogatives” of the president and executive branch officials is to speak to members of the U.S. public, including American companies, “about how they can help mitigate threats,” said DOJ’s emergency motion Monday (docket 23-30445) at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the preliminary injunction that bars Biden administration officials from conversing with social media companies for the purposes of moderating content (see 2307100045). The plaintiffs, including the Republican attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, oppose the emergency motion, said DOJ.
Industry observers expect the FCC's Thursday forum on AI to be mostly an information gathering session as the agency focuses on one of the hot topics of the year but said questions remain about how large a role, or even what role, the FCC could play in rapidly emerging field. The AI forum is the agency's first since 2018 (see 1811300051).
The House Rules Committee will decide Tuesday whether to allow floor votes on a slate of tech and telecom amendments to the chamber’s version of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-2670), including several requiring the State Department to do more to address the security of international telecom infrastructure and internet freedom. House Rules’ meeting on HR-2670 amendments will begin at noon in H-313 in the Capitol. The House is expected to vote on the measure later this week.
The plaintiffs in the two consolidated cases against SB-419, Montana’s statewide TikTok ban, filed nearly simultaneous motions Thursday in U.S. District Court for Montana in Missoula for preliminary injunctions to block Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) from enforcing the measure when it takes effect Jan. 1. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy’s June 28 consolidation order (see 2306290041) designated the May 17 complaint (docket 9:23-cv-00056) filed by six Montana TikTok influencers and users as the lead case, and the May 22 complaint filed by TikTok (docket 9:23-cv-00061) as the "member" case.