Autonomous vehicles aren’t possible without a steady supply of microchips, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., said Monday during a field hearing in Detroit on China package implications for the auto industry (see 2203230065).
T-Mobile’s pending shutdown of its 3G/CDMA network Thursday isn’t raising the same level of concerns as when AT&T shuttered its legacy network last month (see 2202240002), experts said. T-Mobile has far fewer security or other alarm systems attached to its network than AT&T. Dish Network raised concerns about 3G handsets used by Boost customers, the prepaid provider it acquired from T-Mobile, but those have been largely addressed, experts said.
The U.S. can’t go it alone on protecting technologies like 5G and supply chains and needs to work with Asia, Michael Green, Center for Strategic and International Studies senior vice president-Asia, said during a CSIS webinar Wednesday. Speakers warned the U.S. faces steep challenges if wants to separate the U.S. and Chinese economies to reduce risks.
Expect members of the Senate Commerce, Finance, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees to be named as China bill conferees (see 2203220074), Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters after Wednesday’s chips hearing.
National Research Group says Grady Miller, formerly Apple TV+, rejoins the company as chief marketing officer ... Sonic Automotive says former Comcast executive Stephen Carvelli is its first chief technology officer ... Semiconductor company Onto Innovation adds Kateeva CEO May Su to its board ... Ford promotes Kiersten Robinson to general manager-Ford Blue family vehicles and president of Ford’s operations in Mexico and Canada; Jennifer Waldo hired from Apple succeeds Robinson as chief people and employee experiences officer, effective mid-May; and Christopher Smith, ex-Cheniere Energy, also former Department of Energy, joins April 4 as chief government affairs officer, succeeding Mitch Bainwol, ex-RIAA, who retired from Ford at the end of 2021 ... Educational tech company Osmo taps WarnerMedia’s Shawn Smith as its first global head-communications.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo headed to Capitol Hill Tuesday to meet with lawmakers and continue pushing for Congress to pass its China package as quickly as possible. She met with the Senate Finance Committee and held a news conference with Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Mark Warner, D-Va. “We have to decrease our dependence on other countries, and the way to do that is make more chips in America,” she said. “We need Congress to get it to the president’s desk as quickly as possible.”
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., expressed optimism Monday that Congress can begin conference negotiations on its China package before the end of the work period, as planned by Senate leadership (see 2203140059).
The Senate will need to amend the House China package with upper chamber language and send it back to the lower chamber in order to begin conferencing the two measures, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday. Calling it a procedural step, he noted a “small band of Republicans” is standing in the way of “quick action.”
Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) appoints Naomi Kuwaye, from Ashford & Wriston, to state Public Utilities Commission; if confirmed, she will replace Jay Griffin, stepping down at the end of his term, which expires on June 30 … Alexis DeJarnette, ex-Senate Commerce Committee, says she’s now public affairs officer for Axiom Space.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are negotiating to begin conference on the China package this work period, a Senate aide told us Monday (see 2203010077). The work period is scheduled to end April 8.