NAB on Monday sought reconsideration of an FCC order that expanded the parts of the 6 GHz band where new very-low-power devices are permitted to operate without coordination (see 2412110040). The FCC declined to set aside 55 MHz as a “safe haven” for electronic newsgathering operations, as NAB requested (see 2410290052). Commissioners approved the order 5-0 in December,

New tariffs from the Trump administration could increase the price of smartphones in the U.S. by as much as 48.8%, warned the IPC, which represents electronics manufacturers. “Reciprocal tariffs have far-reaching consequences beyond just higher prices on finished imported goods,” Shawn DuBravac, IPC's chief economist, said in an emailed statement Friday. “Trade is essential to supply chain resilience, innovation, and cost competitiveness.”

The White House's firing of two Democratic FTC commissioners (see 2503190057) raises significant questions about whether regulatory agencies "can function effectively without the trappings of independence," American Enterprise Institute nonresident Senior Fellow Mark Jamison wrote Friday. A former member of President Donald Trump’s transition team, Jamison said independent regulatory agencies were never meant to be fully outside government reach, as their leadership is appointed and decisions subject to judicial review. But their design is to try to ensure that businesses and consumers see a consistent and fair legal environment, he said, adding that regulatory legitimacy relies on business and consumers seeing agency decisions that follow the law and evidence, not political favoritism. Investors believing regulators are making politically motivated decisions will move their capital elsewhere, he said. Even if the White House prevails in legal challenges to the FTC firings, "that does not mean that regulatory leaders should act like partisan operatives," he said. "Fair, consistent, and transparent decision-making should remain the priority, regardless of how this legal battle ends."

The FCC has expanded the scope of its disaster reporting efforts related to severe weather in Kentucky to include portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee, said a public notice Thursday. A status report Friday showed 1.5% of cellsites in the affected area were down, and 9,166 cable and wireless subscribers were without service. One FM station was reported down.

The National Treasury Employees Union is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the White House’s order ending collective bargaining at numerous federal agencies, including the FCC. If the order proceeds, NTEU will “imminently lose two-thirds of the employees that it represents and more than half its revenue stream,” the union said in a motion filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the D.C. Circuit. NTEU said some federal agencies have already halted payroll deductions for union dues requested by employees. The executive order goes against Congress’ intent when it authorized widespread collective bargaining for federal employees and is intended to make federal employees easier to fire, NTEU said.

The FCC activated the disaster information reporting system and mandatory disaster response initiative in response to communications impacts from severe weather and flooding in 17 counties in Kentucky, said a public notice Wednesday. A DIRS update released Thursday showed no cellsites or broadcasters down, with 793 cable and wireline subscribers without service in the affected areas. The FCC also issued public notices on priority communications services, FCC assistance availability and emergency communication procedures for licensees that need special temporary authority. The Public Safety Bureau also issued a reminder for entities clearing debris and repairing utilities to avoid damaging communications infrastructure.

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington expects an extension of the categories of equipment that can receive the cyber trust mark, a more empowered NTIA under the current administration, and an FCC “one-stop shop” for space company permitting, he said Wednesday at the Information Technology Industry Council’s Intersect 2025 summit. “I think the emphasis that you're going to see within the commission specifically is an emphasis on greatly streamlining the licensing procedure,” he said. The FCC is “internally working on” creating “some sort of a one-stop shop where we can consolidate the process of getting to space and creating an interface that's usable” for a wide variety of companies. He said it’s not clear if that one-stop shop would ultimately be part of the FCC, but the agency is taking on the job of “figuring it out.”

The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, which the White House largely shuttered this week, played a key role in scaling up digital navigator programs around the U.S. in recent years, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance blogged Tuesday. The loss of the institute and the millions of grant dollars it directed "will drastically impact" libraries' ability to deliver such services as getting people online and teaching them digital skills -- particularly small and rural libraries, NDIA said.

Congress' overly complicated BEAD design has undermined support, Institute for Progress Senior Fellow Sam Marullo wrote this week. Marullo pointed to states having seven distinct planning documents needing federal approval and BEAD's 57 mapping processes -- one for each state and territory, plus a national one. However, BEAD "will be a clear success by 2030 -- unless changes disrupt the good work already underway," he said. Congress' approach -- no broadband deployment starts until all planning is done -- "makes sense on a flow chart, but it’s hard in the real world." A more agile BEAD might have started by immediately addressing known coverage gaps and refining maps as initial construction progressed, deploying more funding as better data revealed new gaps, he said.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has extended a temporary restraining order barring the federal government from enforcing a March 25 executive order targeting Jenner & Block, said an order Tuesday. That executive order revoked the firm’s security clearances and barred it from conducting business with the government. Tuesday’s court order extends the temporary restraining order until final judgment in the case. The White House has issued similar orders against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and others (see 2503120049), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has targeted Cooley and numerous other law firms over diversity programs (see 2503180055).