The White House executive order requiring agencies to review and cancel contracts with and security clearances held by Jenner & Block is within the executive branch’s authority and intended to protect national security and taxpayer dollars, said a DOJ filing Tuesday. Jenner & Block frequently practices before the FCC. The order “directs agencies to do what they should already be doing, declines to contract with entities who act inconsistently with valid social policies regarding discrimination, and calls for the lawful examination of security clearances and government access,” it said. Jenner & Block’s request for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the order should be dismissed, DOJ said, since the government “has every right to use its procurement power” to discourage “discriminatory practices” such as diversity initiatives. Jenner & Block’s objections to provisions of the order directing agencies to issue guidance limiting the firm’s lawyers’ access to federal buildings and agency staff are premature, DOJ said. Since no such guidance has yet been issued, “this Court should reject them as unripe without even reaching the merits.” Jenner & Block “can only guess the degree to which agency heads will limit government access.”

President Donald Trump should “fully revoke” tariffs in the wake of his 90-day pause announcement Wednesday, said Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro in a statement. “We appreciate President Trump's willingness to pause most tariffs,” but the additional 10% universal baseline tariffs, which are still in effect, and the “continued uncertainty” are “already hurting American small businesses,” Shapiro said. The pause doesn’t affect China, and in a post Wednesday on Truth Social, Trump announced an increase in tariffs on that country’s imports to 125%. Many consumer electronics are manufactured in China, including most iPhones. “CTA urges President Trump to focus his efforts on what he does best, dealmaking,” Shapiro said. “Now is the time to reposition the United States with our allies as a reliable trading partner while growing the American and global economy."

The FCC deactivated the disaster information reporting system and mandatory disaster response initiative for counties in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee affected by severe weather and flooding, according to a public notice Friday. "The Commission appreciates the cooperation of all the communications providers that submitted data to DIRS in the aftermath of the April 2025 Severe Weather."

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.”