President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday barring U.S. citizens from “all transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in” any “digital currency, digital coin, or digital token” issued by Venezuela’s government. Trump signed the order a month after the Venezuelan government formally rolled out its petro virtual currency to aid the nation’s sagging economy and skirt U.S. sanctions. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he’s planning to unveil a “petro gold” virtual currency backed by precious metals after the government collected $735 million in presale purchases of the oil-backed petro. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., praised Trump for banning the transactions, saying in a statement it “targets their ability to use cryptocurrencies to circumvent U.S. and international sanctions.”
Broadcom formally ended its bid to buy Qualcomm Wednesday, after President Donald Trump, acting on a recommendation from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., signed an executive order Monday blocking the acquisition on national security grounds (see 1803120060). In complying with the order, Broadcom also withdrew its slate of nominees for election to the Qualcomm board, said the company. “Although we are disappointed with this outcome, Broadcom will comply with the Order,” and will “continue to move forward” with its plan to move its co-headquarters to Delaware from Singapore (see 1711020069), said the company. “Whether you support or oppose recent CFIUS decisions, it provides a deliberative process, a speedy outcome and industry certainty,” tweeted FCC Commission Mike O’Rielly Wednesday. “Similar structure needed for 'Team Telecom' to facilitate @FCC interaction!”
Government needs strong support from nonprofits and the private sector to “make sure that modern slavery comes to its long overdue end,” said assistant to the president Ivanka Trump Tuesday during a White House meeting. Before an expected Senate vote on anti-sex trafficking legislation, Trump announced a roundtable with lawmakers and private sector representatives. She called the buying and selling of young boys and girls a “hidden crime.” The attendee list included IBM Vice President-Government and Regulatory Affairs Chris Padilla; 50 Eggs Films founder and CEO Mary Mazzio; Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman; Polaris Director-Government Relations Joe Racalto; Shared Hope International President Linda Smith; and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Senior Vice President Yiota Souras. Congressional attendees included authors of the legislation Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., as well as Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif. The Senate should swiftly pass the legislation so guilty websites can no longer hide behind immunity offered through the Communications Decency Act, six companies wrote to Senate leaders Tuesday. Portman, author of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (S-1693), plans to pursue the House-approved version of the bill, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (HR-1865) (see 1803120047). Executives from IBM, Hewlett Packard, Disney, 21st Century Fox, Oracle and Home Depot wrote the letter to Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The CDA’s immunity provision was never intended to protect online traffickers, the executives said. About 88 percent of reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involve online trafficking of children, said the letter. After a “carefully shaped” legislative process, the bill provides limited, controlled exceptions to the CDA immunity provision that will help combat illicit behavior, the group said. “We encourage you to move quickly to pass this legislation and send it to the President for his signature.” Many of the companies backed similar legislation recently.
President Donald Trump issued an order barring Broadcom’s takeover bid for Qualcomm in response to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ finding last week that “China would likely compete robustly to fill any void left by Qualcomm [in 5G development] as a result of this hostile takeover.” Trump invoked the 1950 Defense Production Act, saying “there is credible evidence that leads me to believe” Broadcom “might take action that threatens to impair the national security” of the U.S., Trump said Monday night in the order. The takeover bid is “prohibited” and Broadcom and Qualcomm must “certify in writing [to CFIUS] that such termination has been effected,” Trump said. Qualcomm has been fighting the bid (see 1802050042, 1802160041 and 1802220057). Broadcom CEO Hock Tan took his fight over the deal to Capitol Hill last week after CFIUS released its determination, telling top lawmakers the company is “committed to making the United States the global leader in 5G” (see 1803090061). Broadcom and Qualcomm didn't immediately comment.
A White House meeting on media violence Thursday primarily focused on videogames and didn’t stray into other types of media, said Parents Television Council Program Director Melissa Henson in an interview. The meeting was closed to the press. Henson said the proceeding was “more about fact gathering,” and President Donald Trump didn’t make any policy pronouncements or announce any conclusions. Videogame industry officials argued in the meeting that industry self-regulation is the only model that makes sense, but an effective ratings system would have to be administered by an outside party, Henson said. PTC has made similar arguments about the ratings system for TV. The Entertainment Software Association "welcomed the opportunity" to meet with Trump, the association said in a statement. ESA discussed scientific studies that argue there's no connection between video games and violence, First Amendment protections, and the video game industry rating system, ESA said. "We appreciate the President’s receptive and comprehensive approach to this discussion.” The White House didn't comment.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and other federal officials met Monday with eight state governors on President Donald Trump’s infrastructure proposal, which includes $50 billion in state block grants for rural projects, the White House told pool reporters. Broadband projects could qualify for the rural infrastructure money, which state governors will control, but Trump’s proposal contains no dedicated broadband funding (see 1802120001). Federal officials said the proposal could “increase access" to broadband and “improve rural infrastructure,” a White House spokeswoman said. Governors participating in the meeting were Mississippi's Phil Bryant (R), North Carolina's Roy Cooper (D), South Dakota's Dennis Daugaard (R), Colorado's John Hickenlooper (D), Alabama's Kay Ivey (R), Wyoming's Matt Mead (R), Nebraska's Pete Ricketts (R) and Alaska's Bill Walker (I), the White House said. The session was before a meeting between Trump and 39 governors on the administration’s shared priorities with state governments. Trump was criticized for not specifically mentioning broadband during his January State of the Union speech (see 1801310071). The White House has since repeatedly cited Trump's commitment to broadband (see 1802140052, 1802200050, 1802220064 and 1802230044). The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, meanwhile, plans a Thursday hearing on rebuilding infrastructure with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, beginning at 10 a.m. in 406 Dirksen.
The White House upped its emphasis Friday on the potential impact President Donald Trump's infrastructure legislative proposal could have on rural broadband deployments, saying in a news release it will “provide critical funding” for such projects. The proposal, released earlier this month, includes $50 billion in block grants to state governments for rural infrastructure deployments that broadband projects could qualify for but no dedicated broadband funding (see 1802120001). “Inadequate broadband access is a barrier to rural prosperity,” the White House said. “It stunts economic growth and prevents many rural Americans from engaging in the modern economy. Further, lack of broadband access deprives many rural students of educational opportunities afforded to those living in areas with better connectivity. Expanded broadband access will offer a better quality of life and more economic opportunity for rural communities that have been left behind for too long.” Trump drew criticism for not specifically mentioning broadband when he highlighted his then-pending infrastructure proposal during his January State of the Union speech (see 1801310071). The White House has since repeatedly cited in press materials on the infrastructure proposal Trump's commitment to broadband (see 1802140052, 1802200050 and 1802220064).
President Donald Trump urged Congress to improve broadband infrastructure, citing concerns about a lack of connectivity in 25 percent of U.S. schools and 39 percent of citizens in rural areas. “It is intolerable to continue pretending that this is the best America can offer to our students,” Trump said Wednesday in a letter accompanying the Council of Economic Advisers’ annual report. The CEA report cites investments in broadband and emerging technologies as giving workers access “job opportunities without geographic relocation,” potentially making “geographic immobility less relevant for labor force participation.” Even citizens in rural areas who do have broadband access “face a more limited choice set of service providers than their urban counterparts, and tend to adopt at lower rates,” the council said. “Access to broadband is key for modern private enterprise, and a lack of available infrastructure prevents investment in rural communities.” The CEA cited a USF revamp, loans, grants, tax incentives and changes to regulatory rules as potential tools for encouraging infrastructure deployments. The administration released last week its infrastructure legislative proposal, including a focus on streamlining the federal environmental permitting process, including for small-cells deployments. It included proposals for state block grants and federal matching funds that broadband projects could qualify for, but no dedicated broadband funding (see 1802120001).
President Donald Trump’s administration touted its infrastructure legislative proposal Monday as a means for improving rural broadband connectivity, saying he “understands how important expanding broadband access is to ensuring a better quality of life and increasing economic opportunity for rural Americans.” Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue promoted the plan in a Monday opinion piece in the Des Moines Register. Trump’s legislative package, released last week, proposes $50 billion in federal funding for rural infrastructure projects allocated via state block grants (see 1802120001). Congressional Democrats criticized the proposal for not including dedicated broadband funding (see 1802140052 and 1802140064). Trump “has made clear that broadband should be an infrastructure priority,” the White House said. Trump didn’t mention broadband when he highlighted his then-pending infrastructure proposal during his January State of the Union speech, disappointing some industry officials (see 1801310071). The proposal “will provide States with the flexibility to invest in the needs of their rural communities, including broadband,” the White House said. “Given the level of discretion granted to states under the President’s Rural Infrastructure Program, governors can spend 100 percent of the Federal funds they receive under the Program on broadband.” It highlighted Trump’s January executive actions aimed at streamlining rural broadband deployments (see 1801080060 and 1801080063). “Expanding rural broadband to connect America’s rural areas to the ‘interstate highway system’ of global commerce sits atop the infrastructure priority list,” Perdue wrote. “To remain internationally competitive, American farms need reliable, real-time internet connectivity.”
Abigail Slater, general counsel of the Internet Association, is replacing Grace Koh as special assistant to the president for technology, telecommunications and cybersecurity policy at the National Economic Council, industry officials said. They predicted the choice could be controversial since as a IA top official, Slater lobbied the FCC to keep in place the 2015 net neutrality rules, which included reclassification of broadband as a common-carrier service. Slater previously worked for the FTC, including as an aide to then-Democratic Commissioner Julie Brill. Koh has been widely seen as a top White House adviser on communications issues (see 1711140051). "The administration is hiring one of the best people in tech policy,” said Michael Beckerman, president of the Internet Association. “Gail knows internet and telecom policy from top to bottom, and while we are sad to see her go, her expertise will benefit our country and the administration as they look to foster one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.” The White House didn't comment.