Labor

We are advancing a Build America Agenda—a concrete plan to unleash high-speed infrastructure builds, drive down prices for consumers, and restore U.S. leadership in wireless. We are reinvigorating the agency’s consumer protection work, including its efforts to crack down on illegal robocalls. We are empowering broadcasters to meet their public interest obligations.  We are strengthening America’s national security and advancing public safety. We are undertaking the largest deregulatory effort in the agency’s history.

If AI is as transformative an economic force as its greatest advocates (and detractors) believe it might be, then humans might need a new kind of economic policy to deal with it. Federal AI policy mostly involves incentivizing data center construction and keeping Washington out of the way. Even for many advocates, that misses a very large aspect of its potential impact.

Verizon’s Frontier deal is on the verge of landing regulatory approval from California, despite the operator dropping diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Still, the state wants to issue some more requirements related to workforce and diversity.

Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Supporting U.S. Critical Connectivity and Economic Strategy and Security for BEAD Act (S.3565). This legislation would authorize states to use remaining funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program for projects that support state’s deployment plan by enhancing public safety, improving network resiliency, strengthening national security, and developing a qualified workforce for emerging technologies.

Here's something to tell the AI doomers: There's new evidence that instead of bringing on a job apocalypse, AI is creating more work, and, yes, jobs. The fund giant Vanguard ha

In one of the first big political tests of AI, Big Tech won. But the fight has given new signals of populist opposition to technology that holds the promise of eliminating lots of jobs. The weekslong maneuvering ended in the Oval Office, with President Trump signing an executive order aimed at limiting states from implementing laws that tech companies worry will slow development of artificial intelligence. The measure had drawn unusually vocal opposition from Republicans such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Steve Bannon, who holds great sway among the MAGA part of the Republican Party.

Clearfield launched its Tribal Broadband Training Initiative, a program developed with the support of industry leaders to expand fiber workforce training across Tribal lands. Designed to provide meaningful career paths in fiber optics to enrolled Tribal members, the initiative offers no-cost Certified Fiber Optic Technician training to support Tribal Nations in building the skilled workforce needed to deploy and sustain high-speed broadband networks, creating long-term economic opportunities within their communities.

Rep Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Co-Chair of the House Democrat Commission on AI and Chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, released a report and launched an investigation emphasizing the urgent need for transparency and greater clarity regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on American jobs. This announcement comes amid alarming unemployment figures.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced the launch of a new House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy that will convene throughout 2026. The commission will develop policy expertise in partnership with the innovation community, relevant stakeholders and committees of jurisdiction. Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Reps Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04) will serve as Co-Chairs. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Ranking Member of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.

It looks like Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is continuing his crusade to demolish all diversity, equity, and inclusion in the telecommunications space. AT&T recently announced it was dropping all its DEI policies. It wasn’t clear why AT&T would do this out of the blue. Until, of course, the FCC approved AT&T’s deal to buy about $1.02 billion in spectrum from the former USCellular. The other two main U.S. wireless operators have already capitulated to Carr’s hatred of DEI.