Kevin Taglang

On September 29, 2026, President Donald Trump took three significant steps shaping how the federal government will use, refer to, and oversee artificial intelligence (AI)—including a voluntary accord with six of the country's largest AI companies that signals the Administration's preference for industry self-governance over federal regulation. The three actions were:

On September 15, the Gates Foundation released the 2026 Goalkeepers Report, Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can't Delay. Goalkeepers tracks progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are 17 goals adopted by 193 world leaders in 2015.

Since 2020, Congress has steered tens of billions of dollars, including more than $50 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, through federal agencies to connect homes and businesses that lack high-speed internet access. Four agencies account for most of that money: the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Treasury.

On September 3, 2026, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice to allow states, territories, and the District of Columbia (known collectively as Eligible Entities) to access additional BEAD funding to address locations that may remain unserved due to defaults in other federal and/or state programs, misreporting by providers, and other changes to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) broadband DATA maps since the completion of their federally approved

A new "consensus-driven roadmap" on the future of the Universal Service Fund argues that universal service should be understood as an ongoing responsibility, not a goal to achieve, and offers six principles for Universal Service Fund reform.

Earlier this month, we reported that the Department of Commerce told a federal court it would reinstate the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and was targeting a December 2026 opening. Three things have happened since. The parties agreed to pause the litigation and put their remaining disagreements on the record. Judge John D. Bates set the dates by which the government must report its progress.

In January 2025, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) announced that he would not seek reelection for a third term. The Associated Press's Joey Cappelletti and Isabella Volmert wrote, "Having lost Michigan in the presidential race, Peters’ decision forces Democrats to defend a critical Senate seat in Michigan without the advantage of an incumbent." On August 4, 2026, Michigan held primaries for governor and U.S. Congress. In the Senate race, Dr.

In a joint status report filed August 17, 2026, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and the U.S.

On August 14, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission released its 2026 Section 706 Report (also known as the Broadband Deployment Report), concluding that “advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” But did the FCC fulfill its mandate with the report? The FCC did what Section 706 asks in one narrow sense: conducting an inquiry, compiling deployment data, and making a determination.

Last month, we summarized the FCC's draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Maximizing Efficiencies in Universal Service Administration (WC Docket No. 26-173). The FCC adopted that item on August 6, 2026, and released the final version on August 7. The bulk of what we wrote last month still holds. This update covers what changed between the draft and the adopted item.