Technology — Biden's big boost to chipmakers

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View Online Technology Technology The Big Story  Biden administration awards millions to chip factories in Colorado, Oregon The Biden administration announced an agreement Thursday to provide $162 million in federal funding to expand the production of computer chips domestically.  © AP Photo/Patrick Semansky The agreement marks the second tranche of money doled out from a bipartisan law signed in 2022, our colleague Brett Samuels reported.   The Commerce Department announced preliminary terms with Microchop Manufacturing, an Arizona-based company, which will allow it to "significantly increase its U.S. production of microcontroller units (MCUs) and other specialty semiconductors built on mature-nodes."   As part of the deal, $90 million will be used to improve a plant in Colorado Springs, Colo., and $72 million will be used to expand a factory in Gresham, Ore.   The projects are expected to nearly triple the company's semiconductor output, the Commerce Department said.   "Today's announcement with Microchip is a meaningful step in our efforts to bolster the supply chain for legacy semiconductors that are in everything from cars, to washing machines, to missiles," Commerce Secertary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.   "With this proposed investment, President Biden is delivering on his promise to rebuild America's semiconductor supply chain, creating a more secure defense industrial base, lower prices for Americans, and over 700 jobs across Colorado and Oregon."   The funding will come from the CHIPS and Science Act, a bipartisan law President Biden signed in 2022 that provides billions of dollars in incentives to the domestic semiconductor industry.   Read more in a 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. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Mark Cuban hits Elon Musk over DEI comments In a series of posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Mark Cuban hit Elon Musk over his comments about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Musk, the owner of X and Tesla, posted online multiple times Wednesday that DEI efforts are racist. "Discrimination on the basis of race, which DEI does, is literally the definition of racism," Musk posted. In a separate post, Musk was responding to comments about …  Full Story National Labor Relations Board issues complaint against SpaceX The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint Wednesday accusing SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company, of unlawfully firing eight former employees who drafted and circulated an open letter detailing workplace concerns. The letter, circulated in 2022, criticized Musk's actions and the allegations of sexual harassment against him, claiming they were negatively contributing to the company's reputation. The letter also …  Full Story Khanna warns AI could 'erode' workers' rights, pay Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) warned about the risks the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could have on the working class and called for federal policy that would give workers power over decisions about AI in an op-ed published Thursday in The New York Times.   Khanna, who represents a district that includes Silicon Valley, wrote that while AI will "undoubtedly bring benefits" to the economy, the "real challenge" is figuring …  Full Story The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Microsoft to add AI key to keyboards Microsoft will be adding a Copilot key to have text conversations with its AI virtual assistant on upcoming Windows PCs, CNBC reported.  Kim Kardashian mobile game to shut down  The "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" mobile game is shutting down nearly a decade after it launched, CNN reported.  What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Transgender woman running for Ohio House disqualified for not disclosing deadname A transgender woman running for an Ohio House seat has been disqualified for failing to disclose her former name on petitions circulated to voters, … Read more 1 victim dead, 5 injured after Iowa school shooting A shooting in rural central Iowa killed one student and injured four others Thursday morning, according to local police. A school administrator was … Read more What Others are Reading  Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: How 'nearshoring' can revolutionize U.S.-China commerce   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Technology page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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