Civic Engagement

Americans’ engagement with others is not one-dimensional. Rather than falling along a single spectrum, U.S. adults sort into four distinct groups that reflect different patterns of participation:

The Federal Communications Commission anticipates rechartering of the Consumer Protection and Accessibility Advisory Committee (Committee) and solicits nominations for membership. The FCC has consulted with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Service Administration, and intends to recharter the Committee for a period of two (2) years. The renewed charter will become effective on or before October 9, 2026.

As the National Telecommunications and Information Administration works to get the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program over the finish line, the agency is considering its next phase: how to effectively invest the remaining BEAD funds. On February 9, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth announced that NTIA has now approved 50 out of 56 BEAD Final Proposals from states and territories, moving one step closer to ensuring un

A new campaign, launched by entrepreneur and investor Scott Galloway, is encouraging people to unsubscribe from services supplied by telecom firms and other companies that are partnered with or otherwise supporting the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr was blasted as a “censorship czar” by protesters, who disturbed the FCC’s open meeting before being escorted out by security. The open meeting was the FCC’s first one since the multi-day suspension of Jimmy Kimmel from his ABC late night show—which came about after Chairman Carr publicly

The Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy saga is blowing up in the White House’s face—and Elon Musk’s remake of X helped light the fuse. Conspiracy theories about Epstein—and the Trump administration’s supposed complicity in silencing them—are starting to split MAGA’s unruly factions and turn part of the movement against the president. It was Musk himself who wrenched the Epstein affair back into public consciousness during his 

Indigenous communities throughout North America continue to face the unfortunate reality of being unserved and underserved in terms of internet access. Despite billions of dollars invested in broadband infrastructure over the past few decades, there are still considerable barriers to closing the digital divide in Indigenous communities. The current investments have the potential to make the coming years among the most productive in solving the problem.

Protesters were forcibly removed from a heated House Commerce Committee hearing as lawmakers began marking up their portion of the reconciliation budget bill, which includes sweeping provisions on artificial intelligence regulation and spectrum policy. While the markup was dominated by partisan clashes over proposed Medicaid cuts, controversial communications measures that would block state and local governments from regulating AI systems until 2035 and reauthorize the 

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has enjoyed a number of perks since Musk became omnipresent at President Trump’s side. Since the election, the platform has become a go-to source for administration information, as Musk provides real-time updates about his Department of Government Efficiency and targets for federal cost-cutting to his more than 219 million followers. In February, at least a dozen government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service and Defense Department, established new DOGE-focused X accounts to seek tips about federal waste and fraud.

Social media influencer and wedding dress designer Hayley Paige is set to testify at a Senate hearing about banning noncompete agreements, the latest example of how members of the Senate are using online influencers to push their policy initiatives and educate the public about their legislative efforts. Paige, who has over 1.1 million followers on Instagram, was forced to stop designing dresses after her former employer sued her under a noncompete agreement, which limits workers’ ability to continue to work in the same industry.