1. Monthly archive
  2. January 2026

January 2026

Trump Administration Drops Appeal in School D.E.I. Lawsuit

The Trump Administration has abandoned one of its major efforts to restrict diversity and equity programs in schools and colleges. The effort was a threat by the Administration to withhold billions of dollars in education funding from states and schools that refused to sign a document attesting that they did not have diversity and equity programs. Education groups sued in federal court and won a favorable ruling in August 2025, which the government then appealed.

BEAD promise, BEAD letdown

The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program had immense promise to close the digital divide, said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association. But changes to the BEAD Program are weakening its effectiveness. The biggest challenge to the promise of BEAD is the revised guidelines’ emphasis on technology neutrality.

Verizon-Frontier deal enters the show-me phase

When Verizon announced its acquisition of Frontier Communications 16 months ago, the company was led by Hans Vestberg and the focus of the transaction was to bulk up Verizon's fiber base and amp up its ability to offer a mobile-fiber broadband convergence bundle.

Blunt AI talk

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei wrote a note to his wife, Autumn, and their three kids. She suggested sharing it more broadly since so many families are wrestling with how to think and talk about AI. "You're living history. Ignoring it would be foolish and self-destructive," said VandeHei. "I want to urge you to plunge into understanding and using AI aggressively and daily, with a mindset of curiosity, awe, and clear-eyed discernment. You should download several LLMs: Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. They work similarly, intuitively and conversationally. Experiment with them.

State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession

State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession is the product of a collaborative effort drawing on the expertise of Joint Center staff, fellows, and trusted external partners. Key takeaways include:

© 1994-2026 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.