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Battle brews over FCC plan to bring Wi-Fi to school buses |
A growing partisan fight is emerging over a push to expand internet access on public school buses. |
© Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP |
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, is proposing to clarify a rule to state that the buses are eligible for E-Rate funding. The program gives schools discounted Wi-Fi access, and Rosenworcel says the proposed clarification would help close the homework gap. The FCC's Democratic majority is positioned to follow through with the chair's plans now that the comission has a full board. But top Republicans in House and Senate Commerce committees have criticized the proposal. GOP lawmakers argue that it would increase children's access to risky and detrimental social media apps in a situation with limited supervision. Republican critics also say they don't support the expansion because they don't think it falls under the scope of the program. Supporters of the expansion, however, said the GOP opposition falls short on proving either point. "You've got to ask yourself the question, 'What is a school?' And the school is where learning takes place," said Tom Wheeler, a former FCC chair under the Obama administration. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) sent a letter last week to newly confirmed FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez urging her to reject Rosenworcel's plan. The FCC is scheduled to consider the proposal during its upcoming Oct. 19 meeting. Read more in an upcoming full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
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General Motors (GM) has agreed to place battery manufacturing for electric vehicles (EVs) under its main agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, UAW President Shawn Fain announced on Friday. Fain said the union won’t expand its strike against the Big Three automakers following the the last-minute development in negotiations. "We’ve been told for months that this is impossible," Fain said. "We’ve … |
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| Elon Musk called for an overhaul of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday, the same day the agency sued him in an effort to compel him to testify about his purchase of Twitter, the platform now known as X. "A comprehensive overhaul of these agencies is sorely needed, along with a commission to take punitive action against those individuals who have abused their regulatory power for personal and political … |
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Former President Trump and other GOP hopefuls are demonizing the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of an effort to win over disaffected workers in Michigan. At the same time, President Biden is making the case that the transition can go hand-in-hand with job creation. The reality is grayer than politicians on either side of the aisle say, according to experts. "We don't see evidence" that EVs … |
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News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
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NBA could change media with streaming deals |
Tech companies, including Google's YouTube TV, Amazon, Apple and Netflix, may try to gain rights to stream NBA games live in a move that could change the media industry, CNBC reported. |
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23andMe investigating possible user data theft |
23andMe, a popular DNA testing company, is investigating if user data was stolen following posts on a cybercrime forum revealing information about the company's clients, Cyberscoop reported. |
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OpenAI considers making its own AI chips |
OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, is looking at making its own artificial intelligence (AI) chips amid a shortage of the expensive hardware, Reuters reported. |
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Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
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Sam Bankman-Fried stole customer funds from the beginning of FTX, exchange's co-founder tells jury |
NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Bankman-Fried authorized the illegal use of FTX customers’ funds and assets to plug financial gaps at an affiliated hedge fund from the exchange’s earliest days, FTX’s co-founder Gary Wang told a New York jury on Friday, as prosecutors pressed their case that … |
MILAN (AP) — Italy's transport minister is questioning the spread of electric vehicle technology following the fiery crash of a fully electric shuttle bus that killed 21 people in mainland Venice. But the battery chemistry used by the Chinese bus maker makes it less prone to catastrophic fires, experts … |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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President Biden's decision this week to move forward with border wall construction that Democrats have long denounced shocked allies and immigration … Read more |
| Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake confronted a possible general election opponent, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), at an Arizona airport on Thursday, … Read more |
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Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you next week! |
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