Government & Communications

The Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act (S. 2343) would direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States and select 15 members to serve two-year terms. The task force would be required to recommend rules and steps the FCC should take to expand broadband Internet access to unserved agricultural land and to report annually to the FCC. The task force would terminate on January 1, 2025.

Fresh concerns about digital privacy and security are budding in Washington amid revelations of potential surveillance activity in the DC region, causing some lawmakers to demand action from the Trump administration. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is demanding action from the Federal Communications Commission and private phone companies to better protect Americans from being spied on or tracked. But he accused FCC Chairman Ajit Pai of “stonewalling” his pleas for action.  “Mr. Pai and the FCC are dragging their feet here,” Sen Wyden said. “They are stonewalling. They are ducking.

A response to FCC Emails Show Agency Spread Lies to Bolster Dubious DDoS Attack Claims.

Edward Snowden has no regrets five years on from leaking the biggest cache of top-secret documents in history. He is wanted by the US. He is in exile in Russia. But he is satisfied with the way his revelations of mass surveillance have rocked governments, intelligence agencies and major internet companies.

As it wrestled with accusations about a fake cyberattack, the Federal Communications Commission purposely misled several news organizations, choosing to feed journalists false information, while at the same time discouraging them from challenging the agency’s official story.

National Republicans are looking to boost turnout in June 5's pivotal CA primaries with texts targeting GOP voters in key districts. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting 115,000 Republican voters who have either not turned in their vote-by-mail ballots or need to vote on Election Day. Voters began receiving text messages the week May 25 and will receive one more on June 5 reminding them to vote. Voters will receive a text message that reads "ELECTION ALERT: Today is Primary Day!

For nearly a year, the denials from President Trump’s lawyers and spokeswoman were unequivocal. No, the president did not dictate a misleading statement released in his son’s name. But in a confidential, hand-delivered memo to the special counsel, Trump’s lawyers acknowledged that, yes, President Trump had dictated the statement, which attempted to deflect questions about a meeting with a Kremlin-tied lawyer at Trump Tower.

[Commentary] Maps that accurately illustrate broadband coverage are needed to help direct both public and private sector efforts to areas without sufficient access.

In June 2013, news organizations broke stories about federal government surveillance of phone calls and electronic communications of US and foreign citizens, based on classified documents leaked by then-National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Here are some key findings about Americans’ views of government information-gathering and surveillance, drawn from Pew Research Center surveys since the NSA revelations:

President Donald Trump has tapped Michael Pack, the former head of conservative think tank Claremont Institute, to run the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The BBG oversees Voice of America, Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.