While the president doesn’t have express constitutional authority to modify tariffs, several congressionally approved statutes give the White House authority to change tariffs based on a findings that other countries’ exports to the U.S. pose a threat, according to a recently released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report (here). But such delegations of power usually accompany clearly defined conditions and often include time restrictions, the report said.
Criticism mounted about last week's tech industry plan to curb terrorist activity online, which earlier drew concern from the likes of the Center for Democracy and Technology (see 1612060053). Intense pressure from governments and others to curb the content is likely what led Facebook, Google's YouTube, Microsoft and Twitter to jointly announce the creation of a shared industry database to flag and pull down material that promotes violence, civil society and other experts said in interviews this week. Some of them were critical of the plan, as was the survivor of an European attack. Many said it appears that industry unveiled the initiative as a way to stave off regulation as some European officials may have threatened, but that the database may also risk rights including free expression, and deny people the right to appeal decisions.
Criticism mounted about last week's tech industry plan to curb terrorist activity online, which earlier drew concern from the likes of the Center for Democracy and Technology (see 1612060053). Intense pressure from governments and others to curb the content is likely what led Facebook, Google's YouTube, Microsoft and Twitter to jointly announce the creation of a shared industry database to flag and pull down material that promotes violence, civil society and other experts said in interviews this week. Some of them were critical of the plan, as was the survivor of an European attack. Many said it appears that industry unveiled the initiative as a way to stave off regulation as some European officials may have threatened, but that the database may also risk rights including free expression, and deny people the right to appeal decisions.
Senate Democrats are signaling that Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s time at the FCC may not be up despite her upcoming forced exit. “I hope she'll be renominated and the Senate lives up to its word,” Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us in a statement Monday. Members of the upper chamber left town early Saturday without reconfirming her, which means she will have to leave the agency by Jan. 3, as expected (see 1612080056). That would create a 2-2 partisan split among remaining members.
Senate Democrats are signaling that Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s time at the FCC may not be up despite her upcoming forced exit. “I hope she'll be renominated and the Senate lives up to its word,” Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us in a statement Monday. Members of the upper chamber left town early Saturday without reconfirming her, which means she will have to leave the agency by Jan. 3, as expected (see 1612080056). That would create a 2-2 partisan split among remaining members.
The FCC and the next iteration of the Disability Advisory Committee should address the accessibility challenges of the IoT and the accessibility of emergency communications, alongside many other accessibility issues, said the various subcommittees at the group's final meeting Tuesday. The DAC is expected to be convened under the upcoming administration by February, said Elaine Gardner, attorney adviser in the Office of the Managing Director. Several speakers praised the DAC process for opening dialogue between industry and advocates on accessibility matters. That sort of cooperation could have prevented previous technology challenges for the disabled, such as the button-less, touch-screen design of most smartphones, said American Foundation for the Blind Public Policy Director Mark Richert.
The FCC and the next iteration of the Disability Advisory Committee should address the accessibility challenges of the IoT and the accessibility of emergency communications, alongside many other accessibility issues, said the various subcommittees at the group's final meeting Tuesday. The DAC is expected to be convened under the upcoming administration by February, said Elaine Gardner, attorney adviser in the Office of the Managing Director. Several speakers praised the DAC process for opening dialogue between industry and advocates on accessibility matters. That sort of cooperation could have prevented previous technology challenges for the disabled, such as the button-less, touch-screen design of most smartphones, said American Foundation for the Blind Public Policy Director Mark Richert.
Former Registers of Copyrights Ralph Oman and Marybeth Peters urged leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees Monday to more seriously consider increased autonomy for the Copyright Office, after the ouster last month of Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante. Oman is now a copyright law professor at George Washington University Law School, and Peters is an IP adviser with Muncy Geissler. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden removed Pallante as register in October and appointed her to be LOC adviser for digital strategy. Pallante then resigned (see 1610210061 and 1610250062). Hayden's move drew criticism (see 1610240052 and 1611100037). The “unseemly dismissal” may have serious implications “for the future of the American copyright system,” Oman and Peters said in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, we obtained. The letter also went to House Judiciary ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., and outgoing Senate Judiciary ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Hayden’s decision to remove Pallante “only compounds our already serious concerns,” the former registers said. “The episode makes us question whether any Register, or the [CO] itself, can continue to serve the public interest under the current institutional framework. And we are concerned that in the current environment, many of the most qualified candidates will not seek the position.” The CO’s role has grown since its founding “and the competing missions and differing priorities of the [Library of Congress] and the [CO] have increasingly emerged as a source of tension,” Oman and Peters said. They said Pallante’s endorsement of the office's independence followed by Hayden’s decision to remove her “created these tensions,” which were “inevitable given the divergent roles of the two organizations.” Ultimately “the choice is stark,” the former registers said. “Does Congress want modernization and independent copyright advice straight and true from the expert agency, or does it want copyright administration and advice filtered through the lens -- and shaped by the perspective -- of the head of the national library?” CO modernization is likely to be a major part of any copyright legislation to emerge in the 115th Congress, and full separation from the LOC is one of several options being considered (see 1512140029, 1603300060 and 1607150022).
Former Registers of Copyrights Ralph Oman and Marybeth Peters urged leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees Monday to more seriously consider increased autonomy for the Copyright Office, after the ouster last month of Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante. Oman is now a copyright law professor at George Washington University Law School, and Peters is an IP adviser with Muncy Geissler. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden removed Pallante as register in October and appointed her to be LOC adviser for digital strategy. Pallante then resigned (see 1610210061 and 1610250062). Hayden's move drew criticism (see 1610240052 and 1611100037). The “unseemly dismissal” may have serious implications “for the future of the American copyright system,” Oman and Peters said in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, we obtained. The letter also went to House Judiciary ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., and outgoing Senate Judiciary ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Hayden’s decision to remove Pallante “only compounds our already serious concerns,” the former registers said. “The episode makes us question whether any Register, or the [CO] itself, can continue to serve the public interest under the current institutional framework. And we are concerned that in the current environment, many of the most qualified candidates will not seek the position.” The CO’s role has grown since its founding “and the competing missions and differing priorities of the [Library of Congress] and the [CO] have increasingly emerged as a source of tension,” Oman and Peters said. They said Pallante’s endorsement of the office's independence followed by Hayden’s decision to remove her “created these tensions,” which were “inevitable given the divergent roles of the two organizations.” Ultimately “the choice is stark,” the former registers said. “Does Congress want modernization and independent copyright advice straight and true from the expert agency, or does it want copyright administration and advice filtered through the lens -- and shaped by the perspective -- of the head of the national library?” CO modernization is likely to be a major part of any copyright legislation to emerge in the 115th Congress, and full separation from the LOC is one of several options being considered (see 1512140029, 1603300060 and 1607150022).
House legislation introduced before Thanksgiving includes sections on emergency communications and FirstNet, a newly released text shows. The Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary-national protection and programs directorate must submit to Capitol Hill “information on the Department of Homeland Security’s responsibilities related to the development” of FirstNet, said the text of HR-6381, introduced by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas. It has no co-sponsors and is referred to several committees, including McCaul’s. “The Secretary of Homeland Security may not change the location or reporting structure of the Office of Emergency Communications of [DHS] unless the Secretary receives prior authorization from the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate permitting such change,” the bill said. The large text includes one subtitle on communications, also addressing responsibilities of the Office of Emergency Communications director, that office’s annual reporting duties and tweaking language on statewide interoperability coordinators.