Senate leaders acknowledged they’re beginning to consider using floor time to pass the House-approved bill to renew the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through May 19 (HR-1108) in case they can’t reach a deal with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., that would pave the way for enacting the measure via unanimous consent, but they insisted such a move isn’t their preference. An accord remained elusive Wednesday, with Rounds saying he's still opposed to the May 19 extension and leaders still resistant to his alternate bid to renew the authority through Sept. 30 (S-650). That impasse led to the FCC’s mandate lapsing just under two weeks ago (see 2303090074).
Ten trade groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Express Association of America, the American Chemistry Council and the Coalition of Services Industries, are asking President Joe Biden to bring up businesses' concerns about changes to customs procedures, chemical regulations and digital services taxes.
The district court “improperly drew inferences in T-Mobile’s favor,” said plaintiff Simply Wireless in its opening brief (docket 22:2236) Thursday in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a trademark infringement case over the Simply Prepaid trademark.
The FCC’s administrative law judge won’t pause the hearing process and put the Standard/Tegna deal in front of the full commission, said an ALJ order Thursday. After that decision, Standard General asked three FCC commissioners to trigger “must vote” on the transaction, which would require Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to split with Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to side with the agency’s Republicans. That's considered unlikely.
Lumen executives misrepresented to investors and the public the company’s rate of investment and progress in expanding fiber services to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and residential markets, alleged a March 3 class action (docket 3:23-cv-00286) filed in U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana in Monroe.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
A June 2020 wireless infrastructure declaratory ruling merely clarified existing rules, the FCC told a federal appeals court Wednesday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month resumed a long-paused case on a League of California Cities challenge to the FCC decision clarifying shot clock and substantial change rules (see 2302070041). The FCC said in a brief it made no procedural errors and reasonably interpreted its rules (case 20-71765). "Wireless communications depend on a network of antennas and equipment placed on structures including towers, buildings, and utility poles,” the FCC wrote. “Local governments often use their zoning and land use authority to delay or block the installation of such equipment because of perceived aesthetic and other impacts." Congress, the agency said, has long sought to reduce such barriers.
A June 2020 wireless infrastructure declaratory ruling merely clarified existing rules, the FCC told a federal appeals court Wednesday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month resumed a long-paused case on a League of California Cities challenge to the FCC decision clarifying shot clock and substantial change rules (see 2302070041). The FCC said in a brief it made no procedural errors and reasonably interpreted its rules (case 20-71765).
Although the Biden administration took unprecedented action to shield solar panel importers from antidumping and countervailing duties -- after hearing from a third of the Senate's Democratic caucus and two Republicans that the anti-circumvention investigation was harming the solar installation industry -- the political pressure has not abated.
FCC nominee Gigi Sohn and most Senate Commerce Committee Democratic supporters strongly defended her record and decried what several called an extensive “smear campaign” against her during a Tuesday confirmation hearing, but comments from panel Democrat Jacky Rosen of Nevada about law enforcement groups’ vehement opposition to her candidacy threw her prospects into renewed doubt. All participating Commerce Republicans voiced strong opposition to Sohn Tuesday, as expected (see 2302130001), citing the same concerns as at the nominee’s previous two confirmation hearings and more recent matters that conservative media outlets raised since President Joe Biden renominated her in January. Republicans repeatedly tried to directly correlate her role as an Electronic Frontier Foundation board member and the group’s past actions, but avoided raising reports on EFF’s sex worker policy positions that her supporters claim were instances of veiled homophobia (see 2301310062).