A third tranche of tariffs, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, takes effect Sept. 24 at a 10 percent rate, rising to 25 percent after Jan. 1, said President Donald Trump Monday evening. The administration will “immediately pursue” a fourth batch of duties, on $267 billion of additional imports, if China retaliates against the third installment, said Trump. "China has been unwilling to change its practices.”
President Donald Trump directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider raising the third round of Trade Act Section 301 tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent, the USTR and others confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
New York Public Service commissioners voted 3-0 to revoke the state's 2016 conditional approval of Charter Communications’ buy of Time Warner Cable, directing the acquirer to submit a transition plan within 60 days. At a Friday special session, commissioners also voted 3-0 for an order directing PSC counsel to begin a civil enforcement case against Charter in New York Supreme Court seeking civil financial penalties for past failures.
President Donald Trump chose Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Monday night to be his nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
Former FCC chairmen heralded Apple's Monday announcement it will include RapidSOS technology in iOS 12 to quickly send more accurate location information to 911 call centers, which National Emergency Number Association President Rob McMullen said will accelerate next-generation 911 deployment. It's "a very significant announcement heralding a material shift forward in emergency response capabilities,” former FCC Chairman Dennis Patrick, an adviser to RapidSOS, told us. “The FCC has itself estimated that enhanced location information accurately and immediately communicated can save up to 10,000 lives annually.”
AT&T's planned $108.7 billion purchase of Time Warner got the green light Tuesday from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of Washington. as he ruled in favor of the companies in rejecting DOJ's antitrust complaint seeking to block the deal. Leon announced his decision this afternoon to a packed courtroom.
Geoffrey Starks will be nominated by President Donald Trump to be a commissioner, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. The elevation of the Enforcement Bureau assistant chief has been expected, and he would succeed outgoing Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Starks would serve the rest of a five-year term ending June 30, 2022, said a White House announcement forwarded to us from a Senate official. Other FCC members offered endorsements and encouragement as well (here, here and here.)
The Senate voted 52-47 Wednesday to pass the Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at reversing the FCC order to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules (Senate Joint Resolution-52), as expected.
Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to combine in a deal that would see the resulting wireless carrier take the T-Mobile name and be under some of that company's leadership. Foes of consolidation are likely to oppose the deal at the FCC and perhaps at DOJ, too, they told us Sunday immediately after the transaction was disclosed. The companies said in a statement that joining would help them roll out 5G: "Neither company standing alone can create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth required to fuel the next wave of mobile Internet innovation in the U.S. and answer competitive challenges from abroad."