skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump's effort to quell MAGA revolt over Epstein files seems to add fuel to the fire; As public sentiment shifts, MN watchdog criticizes ICE tactics; IN food pantries hit by SUN Bucks blackout; EPA employees on paid leave after signing "declaration of dissent."

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump threatens Russia with secondary sanctions, some of the president's allies want him to fire Federal Reserve chair, and farmers and doctors worry about impact of budget cuts on rural communities.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural Americans brace for disproportionate impact of federal funding cuts to mental health, substance use programs, and new federal policies have farmers from Ohio to Minnesota struggling to grow healthier foods and create sustainable food production programs.

Groups Want Congress to Stop Net Neutrality "Sneak Attack"

play audio
Play

Monday, June 29, 2015   

HARRISBURG, Pa. - More than 60 civil-rights and public-interest groups have sent a letter urging Congress to protect the Federal Communications Commission's decision to keep the Internet open.

They're protesting a rider attached to a must-pass government funding package. Timothy Karr, senior director of strategy, is with the group Free Press. He says the provisions, buried inside a spending bill that's 150-pages long, would cut funding the Federal Communication Commission needs to enforce net neutrality rules.

"This is one of the more sneaky ways to do it, is to actually slip a couple lines of language into a budget appropriations bill," says Karr.

Advocates claim that by eliminating the FCC's ability to protect net neutrality, the appropriations bill would have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights and the economy. The American Library Association, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation were among the groups sending the letter.

In February the FCC responded to nearly four million public comments when it decided to protect the openness of the Internet - no fast lanes for corporations and slow lanes for average citizens. Karr says since the ruling, an entrenched phone and cable lobby has worked to punish the FCC in the courts and now in Congress.

"The public, on the issue of net neutrality, has been overwhelmingly in favor of open Internet protections," says Karr. "So we're seeing the backlash of that decision."

Karr adds that the funding package is inching closer to a vote before the full House, but there's still time for members to remove the provision.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some experts predict virtually all 'red' states will opt in to participate in the Educational Choice for Children program, while participation for 'blue' and 'purple' states remains to be seen. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Mixed responses continue to swirl about the new federal law offering tax incentives to people who donate to organizations providing scholarships to pr…


Health and Wellness

play sound

Hundreds of millions of American young people are exposed to vaping and smoking in popular movies, TV shows and music videos each year, according to …

Social Issues

play sound

Nevada groups concerned about affordability, clean air and health care are speaking out against the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" recently signed by …


The shift to cage-free eggs has accelerated after 11 states, including Colorado, set regulations on so-called conventional eggs, and the recent bird flu crisis, which led to the loss of more than 125 million U.S. hens. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A new "Compassion Calculator" launched by the charity portal FarmKind aims to help Coloradans who eat meat improve their animal welfare footprints by …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As federal Medicaid cuts loom, consumer advocates are celebrating Washington's new bill limiting hospital prices for state and public school …

The Community Compass app, maintained by Indy Hunger Network serves between 4,000 and 8,000 users per month seeking food access resources. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana families are navigating the summer without SUN Bucks, a federal grocery benefit which delivered $120 per child last summer. Gov. Mike …

Social Issues

play sound

Texas lawmakers will return to Austin on July 21 for a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. The 18 items on the agenda include …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A Wisconsin nonprofit serving people with disabilities is waiting to hear if federal changes to Medicaid will affect their clients and caregivers…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021