Featured Stories
USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Heavy Machinery and Components Thereof
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Heavy Machinery and Components Thereof
The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) voted to institute an investigation of certain heavy machinery and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation are described in the Commission's notice of investigation.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed on behalf of Caterpillar Inc. of Irving, Texas, on May 26, 2026. A supplement to the complaint was filed
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Heavy Machinery and Components Thereof
The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) voted to institute an investigation of certain heavy machinery and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation are described in the Commission's notice of investigation.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed on behalf of Caterpillar Inc. of Irving, Texas, on May 26, 2026. A supplement to the complaint was filedon June 11, 2026. The complaint, as supplemented, alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain heavy machinery and components thereof that infringe certain claims of the patents asserted by the complainant. The complainant requests that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
The USITC has identified the following respondents in this investigation:
* Doosan Bobcat Inc., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
* Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc., West Fargo, North Dakota
* Doosan Bobcat Mexico Monterrey, S. de R.L. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico
* Doosan Bobcat EMEA S.R.O., Dobris, Czech Republic
* Doosan Bobcat France S.A.S, Pontchateau, France
* Doosan Bobcat India Private Ltd., Chennai, India
By instituting this investigation (337-TA-1507), the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The USITC's Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the USITC's administrative law judges (ALJ), who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ALJ will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.
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Original text here: https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2026/er0626_68812.htm
U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office Skimming Operation Nets 35 Illegal Devices, Saves $36.5 Million
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secret Service issued the following news release:
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U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office Skimming Operation Nets 35 Illegal Devices, Saves $36.5 Million
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office, along with law enforcement partners, concluded a three-day Electronic Benefit Transfer Fraud (EBT) and payment card skimming outreach effort on Thursday, removing 35 illegal devices and preventing $36.5 million in potential losses.
Fourteen teams visited 1,010 businesses and conducted 3,935 inspections in Brooklyn,
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secret Service issued the following news release:
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U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office Skimming Operation Nets 35 Illegal Devices, Saves $36.5 Million
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office, along with law enforcement partners, concluded a three-day Electronic Benefit Transfer Fraud (EBT) and payment card skimming outreach effort on Thursday, removing 35 illegal devices and preventing $36.5 million in potential losses.
Fourteen teams visited 1,010 businesses and conducted 3,935 inspections in Brooklyn,The Bronx and Queens from June 23-25, 2026. In addition to finding the illegal devices, teams educated area businesses on how to identify these devices in their stores.
"New York is a target-rich environment for illegal skimmers. The high concentration of bodegas and small stores throughout the city makes it easier for criminals to install these devices," said Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, of the New York Field Office. "The FIFA World Cup this summer is expected to bring in an extra million people, along with billions in revenue to the city. Our message to the criminal fraudsters producing and placing skimmers in our community is clear: We will find you; we will arrest you, and we will hold you accountable. Stealing credit card and EBT information from hardworking New Yorkers is not a victimless crime, and those responsible should expect a knock on their door soon."
Personnel from the Secret Service, New York Police Department, New York City Department of Investigation and the USDA Office of the Inspector General participated in the outreach effort.
"Criminals who steal food assistance dollars from needy Americans to enrich themselves are disgraceful and will be held to account. I was proud to participate with the United States Secret Service who led this operation along with OIG special agents and other law enforcement partners against SNAP fraud in New York City," said Inspector General John Walk of the United States Department of Agriculture. "This operation was a huge success - 35 skimming devices off the streets of NYC saves American taxpayers an estimated $36.5 million and ensures SNAP benefits are not siphoned away from the families it was intended for. Let's stand together to end SNAP fraud."
Teams found 15 devices in Brooklyn, 9 in The Bronx and 10 in Queens. An additional skimmer was found in Manhattan after a request was made to inspect a specific terminal.
The Secret Service has conducted similar operations throughout the country, and this marked the fourth operation in New York City.
Similar operations in New York City before this one netted 133 skimming devices, preventing nearly $139 million in losses.
In 2025, law enforcement personnel removed more than 400 illegal skimming devices during these operations, preventing an estimated potential fraud loss of more than $428 million. Criminals often steal EBT and other payment card numbers by installing illegal skimming devices on ATMs, gas pumps and merchant point-of-sale terminals. Scammers use skimming technology to capture card information from EBT cards and encode that data onto another card with a magnetic strip.
It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.
There are several precautions consumers can take to protect themselves:
* Inspect ATMs, point-of-sale terminals and other card readers. Look for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched. Do not use a card reader if anything appears unusual.
* Whenever possible, use tap-to-pay technology or use debit and credit cards with chip technology.
* If using a debit card at a gas station, run it as a credit card to avoid entering a PIN number. If that is not an option, consumers should use their hand to hide their PIN to block scammers who may be using tiny pinhole cameras above the keypad area to record entries. Use ATMs in a well-lit, indoor location, which are less vulnerable targets.
* Be alert for skimming devices in tourist areas, which are popular targets.
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Original text here: https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2026/06/us-secret-service-new-york-field-office-skimming-operation-nets-35
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Joins U.S. Department of Justice in Announcing 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Joins U.S. Department of Justice in Announcing 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), this week joined the U.S. Department of Justice in announcing the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 defendants across 56 federal districts and 45 states and territories for alleged schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Joins U.S. Department of Justice in Announcing 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), this week joined the U.S. Department of Justice in announcing the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 defendants across 56 federal districts and 45 states and territories for alleged schemes involving over $6.5 billion in falseclaims.
"Health care fraud is not a victimless crime -- it robs American workers of their earned benefits, steals from taxpayers, and undermines the very programs meant to protect them. The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is committed to rooting out these despicable schemes with unrelenting determination," said Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. "Together, with our agency and law enforcement partners, we are dismantling fraudulent operations and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes against the American people."
This Takedown represents a new era of coordinated enforcement targeting complex fraud affecting Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers, employee health plans, and federally funded employee benefit programs. As part of this whole-of-government approach, the DOL Office of Inspector General contributed several significant investigations involving patient harm, billing fraud, false medical testing, kickbacks, and identity-based benefits fraud.
"Real care doesn't come with kickbacks and fake claims. To every fraudster exploiting the system: your time is up. We will find you; we will investigate you, and we will bring you to justice," Inspector General D'Esposito added.
DOL OIG Cases Included in the 2026 Takedown
* Jason Finkelstein, the medical director of a cardiovascular testing and treatment practice was charged in connection with an $89 million scheme to bill for unnecessary cardiovascular tests, such as EKGs and echocardiograms, conducted on student athletes on school campuses. According to the charges, the defendant and his co-conspirators used marketing tactics designed to exploit fears surrounding sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes. The defendant then allegedly falsified diagnoses to defraud health care benefit programs for the testing. Despite knowing, as he wrote, that "these kids could be high risk . . . one of them drops dead on the field, they're coming after both of us," the defendant allegedly rubber stamped the test results as normal without reviewing them--sometimes approving test results within mere seconds. As a result, student athletes with cardiac abnormalities were not informed that they needed to stop participating in sports, putting them at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Despite one patient's test results showing an enlarged heart, the defendant allegedly signed off on the test results as normal within approximately 11 seconds of accessing the 63 cardiovascular test result images. Just 24 days later, the student athlete died from complications related to an enlarged heart during a basketball practice.
* Luther Johnson III, co-owner of Advanced Functional Rehab (AFR), a purported physical therapy business, was indicted on conspiracy to commit health care fraud for his role in scamming the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). Johnson and a co-conspirator allegedly submitted false and fraudulent claims to OWCP for one-on-one physical therapy when patients were watching television, eating, using their personal phones or independently exercising. At times, Johnson and his co-conspirator billed OWCP for services when neither was onsite at AFR, instead monitoring patients remotely through a security camera. OWCP was billed at least $3 million for claims involving services that were not provided and paid AFR approximately $2.7 million.
* Mareli Arias Batista, was indicted on numerous charges, including false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, health care fraud, wire fraud, passport fraud and bank fraud. Batista allegedly fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits, health care benefits, a passport and a mortgage by using the identity of an unwitting victim.
DOL OIG special agents played a critical role throughout this effort, contributing their dedicated investigative work, commitment to rooting out fraud, and strong interagency coordination to support this nationwide enforcement action. Multiple cases were jointly developed with EBSA, HHS-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI, USPIS, OPM-OIG, DCIS, DSS, USDA-OIG, SSA-OIG, and other partners.
For additional information on DOL OIG, please visit oig.dol.gov. If you suspect wrongdoing involving DOL programs or operations, contact the DOL-OIG Hotline at (800) 347-3756 or oig.dol.gov/hotlinecontact.htm.
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Original text here: https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/Press%20Releases/OIG-Press-Release-062626.htm
Treasury Sanctions Networks Fueling Sudan's Civil War and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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Treasury Sanctions Networks Fueling Sudan's Civil War and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on eight individuals and entities linked to procurement and recruitment networks that continue to fuel Sudan's devastating civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These networks have enabled both sides to expand the scale
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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Treasury Sanctions Networks Fueling Sudan's Civil War and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on eight individuals and entities linked to procurement and recruitment networks that continue to fuel Sudan's devastating civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These networks have enabled both sides to expand the scaleand intensity of the conflict, contributing to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and further destabilizing an already fragile region. The ongoing violence has also created conditions that allow for terrorist groups to grow, posing threats to the security and interests of the United States.
"The Trump Administration is committed to advancing a lasting peace in Sudan and bringing an end to the conflict," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "The networks profiting from the conflict in Sudan jeopardize the prospects for the humanitarian truce that the Sudanese people desperately need."
The United States calls on the SAF and the RSF to accept and implement an immediate, unconditional three-month humanitarian truce. Such a truce would allow additional humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, safeguard civilian populations, and create space for further negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire. The United States again calls on external actors to cease all financial and military support to the parties involved in the conflict.
Today's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, "Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition." OFAC's investigation of the individuals and entities designated today was conducted in close partnership with the United States Customs and Border Protection, National Targeting Center.
saf procurement companies and supplier
The Defense Industries System (DIS), Sudan's largest defense enterprise, supports and maintains the SAF's arsenal of arms, ammunition, vehicles, and material, often acquired from Iran and other external backers. DIS controls numerous subsidiaries, including the Sudanese conglomerate, Giad Industrial Group (Giad)--also known as Sudan Master Technology--through complex and opaque structures from which DIS has generated billions of dollars. OFAC designated DIS and Giad on June 1, 2023. DIS's acquisition of military equipment and related material has enabled the SAF to sustain combat operations against the RSF, conduct attacks against civilians, and reject and obstruct efforts to cease hostilities and achieve a ceasefire.
Target Multiactivities Company Ltd. (TMAC) is a Sudan-based company controlled by DIS through Giad. With senior DIS officer Tariq Hussain Muhammad Madani (Madani) serving as managing director, TMAC has imported explosives and related material into Sudan from Egyptian and Indian companies, including India-based explosives manufacturer, SBL Energy Limited (SBL). These explosives are subsequently used in bombs deployed by the SAF. SBL, whose chief executive officer is Indian national Alok Choudhari (Choudhari), has supplied TMAC with over 200 shipments of explosives and explosives-related materiel since 2024.
Ports Engineering Company LTD (Ports Engineering) is a Sudan-based public construction company owned by Sudanese state-owned enterprises, including Giad. Since the start of the conflict in April 2023, Ports Engineering has imported uniforms and footwear worn by Sudanese intelligence personnel from an Emirati company, and ammunition belts and boxes of weapons from a Turkish company.
OFAC designated TMAC pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being a foreign person who is owned or controlled by, or has acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, DIS, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.
OFAC designated Madani pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of TMAC, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098 relating to the tenure of such leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors.
OFAC designated SBL pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being a foreign person who has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, TMAC, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.
OFAC designated Choudhari pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of SBL, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098 relating to the tenure of such leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors.
OFAC designated Ports Engineering pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being a foreign person who is owned or controlled by, or has acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sudan Master Technology, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.
colombian recruiting network associates
OFAC took action in December 2025 and April 2026 against a transnational network led by retired Colombian military officer Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra (Quijano) and his wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero (Oliveros), who have been recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight in Sudan for the RSF, an armed group that has committed genocide. Quijano and Oliveros have carried out this scheme using companies under their control, including Colombia-based companies International Services Agency (A4SI) and Fenix Human Resources S.A.S., and Panama-based company, Talent Bridge, S.A. (formerly known as Global Staffing S.A.), which was used to minimize A4SI's legal exposure and obfuscate the links between A4SI and the company hiring the Colombian fighters.
Panamanian nationals Enrique Daniel Palacios Quintanilla (Palacios) and Jack Peter Derman Guzman (Derman), and Colombian national Fredy Alejandro Lopez Ocampo (Lopez) were associated with Talent Bridge S.A. dating back to the company's creation in 2022, each holding official roles. Palacios served as a resident agent, director, and secretary. Derman served as a director, subscriber, empowered representative, and treasurer, and he succeeded Oliveros as president in July 2025, which is when the company rebranded as Talent Bridge, S.A. Lopez served as a secretary, director, and subscriber.
OFAC designated Palacios, Derman, and Lopez pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being foreign persons who are or have been leaders, officials, senior executive officers, or members of the board of directors of Talent Bridge, S.A., an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098 relating to the tenure of such leaders, officials, senior executive officers, or members of the board of directors
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC's guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.
Click here for more information on the persons designated today (https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260626).
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Original text here: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0544
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis: Regional Economic Conditions - Midyear Update
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, June 27 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following news on June 24, 2026:
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How is the economy performing this year so far, and how are businesses in the region feeling about the rest of the year?
Summer is a good time for businesses to look back at how the year is shaping up relative to their expectations at the outset, and to consider their economic outlook. Join us for an economic check-in at midyear. Following an overview by Vice President of Research Ben Malin of current conditions in the U.S. macroeconomy, Regional Outreach Director Joe
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, June 27 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following news on June 24, 2026:
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How is the economy performing this year so far, and how are businesses in the region feeling about the rest of the year?
Summer is a good time for businesses to look back at how the year is shaping up relative to their expectations at the outset, and to consider their economic outlook. Join us for an economic check-in at midyear. Following an overview by Vice President of Research Ben Malin of current conditions in the U.S. macroeconomy, Regional Outreach Director JoeMahon will walk through indicators from a monthly survey of businesses in the Ninth Federal Reserve District.
Regional Economic Conditions: Midyear Update
Event Details
July 17, 2026
9:00-9:45 a.m. CT
Virtual video event
Event Agenda
Friday, July 17, 2026
9:00-9:05 a.m. CT ... Welcome and introduction
9:05-9:20 a.m. CT ... U.S. macroeconomic update with Ben Malin
9:20-9:35 a.m. CT ... Ninth District economic update with Joe Mahon
9:35-9:45 a.m. CT ... Q&A
9:45 a.m. CT ... Webinar concludes
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Original text here: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2026/regional-economic-conditions-midyear-update
FCC to Review E-Rate Program to Ensure Congress's Vision
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement on June 26, 2026, by Chairman Brendan Carr:
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FCC to Review E-Rate Program to Ensure Congress's Vision
Re: Ensuring Children's Safe Use of Screens and E-Rate-Funded Services; Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries; Establishing the Emergency Connectivity Fund to Close the Homework Gap; Promoting Fair and Open Competitive Bidding in the E-Rate Program, WC Docket Nos. 26-133, 13-184, 21-93, 21-455, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, (June 25,
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement on June 26, 2026, by Chairman Brendan Carr:
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FCC to Review E-Rate Program to Ensure Congress's Vision
Re: Ensuring Children's Safe Use of Screens and E-Rate-Funded Services; Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries; Establishing the Emergency Connectivity Fund to Close the Homework Gap; Promoting Fair and Open Competitive Bidding in the E-Rate Program, WC Docket Nos. 26-133, 13-184, 21-93, 21-455, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, (June 25,2026).
Over the last decade, school districts across the country experimented with a massive increase in screen time for students. In many classrooms, turning pages in books, penciling out answers to math problems, and asking teachers questions were replaced for long stretches of time by kids swiping on tablets. Indeed, the data show that more than half of students now use a computer for up to four hours a day, and a quarter of them spend more than four hours on screens. Emma Kate Fittes, How Much Time Are Students Spending Using EdTech? (Mar. 1, 2022) https://marketbrief.edweek.org/meeting-district-needs/how-much-time-are-students-spending-using-ed-tech/2022/03.
Kids as young as eight have been spending up to five and a half hours daily on screens. Children's Hospital of Orange County, The Effects of Screen Time on Children: The Latest Research Parents Should Know (Aug. 27, 2024), https://health.choc.org/the-effects-of-screen-time-on-children-the-latest-research-parents-should-know; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use, An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents, at 12 (2026), https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/us-surgeon-generals-advisory-warning-on-the-harms-of-screen-use.pdf.
By Grade 8, more than 50 percent of kids report using computers in all or almost all classes, up from 30 percent in 2019.
In many cases, school districts were not freelancing. There had been a strong push at the local, state, and federal level by policy makers to increase screen time. Many argued that increasing screens in schools was an unalloyed good. The more the better. For their part, many tech companies supported the surge in screen time, benefiting from increased device sales.
In any setting, but particularly in educational ones, it is important to look at the data. The results from America's experiment with pervasive screen time in school are now starting to pour in. The data show that reading and math skills have declined and increased screen times have been associated with lower reading and math achievement on standardized tests in elementary school. National Assessment of Education Progress, NAEP Report Card: Reading (2024), https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reports/reading/2024/g4_8/; National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Facts, Long Term Trends in Reading and Mathematics Achievement, https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=38 (last visited June 24, 2026); Xuedi Li et al., Screen Time and Standardized Academic Achievement Tests in Elementary School, 8 JAMA Netw. Open 10 (2025), https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2839927.
Achievement gaps have also widened between students in the 90th and 10th percentiles. One researcher has described these downward trendlines as one of the largest declines in human capital we have ever observed.
We are not the only ones concerned about screen time and poor educational outcomes. Researchers are consistently finding that excessive screen time use has a detrimental impact on the well-being of kids and teens. Professor Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, has found that screen time is linked with the rise of youth depression and anxiety. See Gili Malinsky, 'The Anxious Generation' author's No. 1 rule for kids' screentime at home: 'We have to roll that back if we want any hope for them to grow up healthy', CNBC (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/08/jonathan-haidts-parenting-rules-for-screentime-at-home.html?msockid=3673412deb1d6308130b54d9eab062d7; see also Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ (last visited June 24, 2026).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have both similarly found that too much screen time may lead to lower grades in school and reading fewer books, among other negative outcomes. See American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Screen Time and Children (June 2025), https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV 054.aspx; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use, An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents (2026), https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/us-surgeon-generals-advisory-warning-on-the-harms-of-screen-use.pdf.
These trends have grabbed the attention of federal policymakers. A number of bills have been introduced in Congress that are aimed at reducing kid screen time. For example, in 2023, Senators Ted Cruz, Ted Budd, and Shelley Moore Capito proposed the "Eyes on the Board Act" to require schools and school districts that participate in the E-Rate program to block social media access on subsidized services and networks, and to adopt policies to limit screen time in school. Eyes on the Board Act, S. 3074, 118th Cong. (2023).
And other agencies are also taking a close look at this issue, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where Administrator Roth launched an initiative to examine the role of educational technology and screen use in K-12 schools, beginning with a listening session focused on "Kids' Excessive Screen Use in Schools." Kids' Excessive Screen Time Listening Session, Nat'l Telecomm. & Info. Admin. (Dec. 10, 2025), https://www.ntia.gov/events-and-meetings/kids-excessive-screen-time-listening-session.
School districts are taking action too. As of last month, at least six states have imposed bans or limits on screen time and more than a dozen other states have introduced bills that would result in bans or limits. Screen Time Legislation Is Moving Fast. Here's What's Actually Enacted, Whiteboard Advisors, K-12 Education (May 15, 2026), https://whiteboardadvisors.com/screen-time-legislation-is-moving-fast-heres-whats-actually-enacted/.
Just this week, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board adopted new rules that prohibit screen time for kids before second grade, cap it at 60 minutes for kids between second and fifth grade, and allow middle-schoolers and high-schoolers a total of six hours and 10 hours weekly, respectively. Lauren Lumpkin, Nation's second-largest school district passes strict new screen time rules for students, Washington Post (June 23, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/23/nations-second-largest-school-district-passes-strict-new-screen-time-rules-students/.
The San Diego Unified School District Board also adopted rules limiting screen time this week, including removing computers from transitional kindergarten classrooms and banning YouTube. Pranati Kotamraju, San Diego Unified unanimously approves proposal to reduce screen time for students, San Diego CBS 7 News (June 23, 2026), https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-unified-technology-limit-student/4040447/.
Against this backdrop, it is appropriate for the FCC to look at its own programs. As relevant here, the FCC has a $3 billion a year program, E-Rate. The program has been in place since 1997 and has played an important role in expanding connectivity to schools and libraries. It began with a clear focus--supporting basic internet access to schools and libraries for educational purposes. Kids could experience digital opportunity for the first time in computer labs at school or at the library. Since then, however, the E-Rate program has expanded exponentially, supporting a much broader list of services. And the number of devices connecting to these E-Rate supported networks has continued to grow as well. Gone are the days when schools focused predominately on connecting computer labs. Instead, nearly 100 percent of public schools report that they provide devices to students who need them, up from only 23 percent in the 2019-2020 school year. Elementary and Secondary Education, Technology Support, Annual Reports and Information Staff (Annual Reports), https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/annualreports/topical-studies/covid/theme/elementary-and-secondary-education-technology-support/ (last visited June 23, 2026).
This is in addition to the many computers and phones that students are bringing to school from home.
In today's item, we are asking important questions that will allow us to ensure that the program continues to support educational opportunity while also considering whether additional safeguards, refinements, or updates are needed to better protect kids online. We seek comment on whether the program should be reoriented in light of all of the above developments, as well as the increase in connectivity to schools and libraries across the country since 1997.
We also explore whether our current interpretation of the Children's Internet Protection Act is the best reading of the statute, or whether there is more that the FCC, and schools across the country, can be doing to protect kids online when they are using E-Rate supported networks. Finally, we are proposing steps to strengthen integrity of the E-Rate program, including increasing oversight over consultants, to help safeguard the program against waste, fraud, and abuse.
Concerned citizens support our action today. I received a letter signed by hundreds of individuals and more than thirty-five organizations including Digital Progress Institute, NCOCE (National Center on Child Exploitation), Internet Accountability Project, and Independent Women's Forum urging the Commission to adopt this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
I welcome the discussion that this item will generate and look forward to reviewing the record. Thanks to Allison Baker, Bryan Boyle, Matt Baker, Kristin Berkland, Rachel Bixby, Joseph Calascione, Kate Dumouchel, Gabby Gross, Molly O'Conor, Johnnay Schrieber, Veronica Garcia-Ulloa, Jonathan Lechter, and Malena Barzilai for their great work on this item.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-41A2.pdf
DOE: Trump Administration Keeps Coal-Fired Power Generation Alive in Colorado
WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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Trump Administration Keeps Coal-Fired Power Generation Alive in Colorado
Emergency order addresses critical grid reliability issues by saving affordable, beautiful, clean coal generation from going offline.
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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today issued an emergency order to keep a Colorado coal plant operational to ensure Americans maintain access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity. The order directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State),
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WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following news release on June 26, 2026:
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Trump Administration Keeps Coal-Fired Power Generation Alive in Colorado
Emergency order addresses critical grid reliability issues by saving affordable, beautiful, clean coal generation from going offline.
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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today issued an emergency order to keep a Colorado coal plant operational to ensure Americans maintain access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity. The order directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State),Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project, PacifiCorp, and Public Service Company of Colorado (a subsidiary of Xcel Energy), to take all measures necessary to ensure that Craig Unit 1 is available to operate at the direction of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). For the duration of this Order, SPP is directed to take every step to employ economic dispatch of Craig Unit 1 to minimize costs to ratepayers.
Unit 1 of the coal plant was originally scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025, but in December 2025 and again in March 2026, Secretary Wright issued emergency orders directing Tri-State and the co-owners to ensure that Unit 1 at the Craig Station remains available to operate.
"Taking reliable generation off the grid compromises energy reliability and needlessly raises energy costs for Americans," said Energy Secretary Wright. "During peak summer demand, Coloradans deserve continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes."
Thanks to President Trump's leadership, coal plants across the country are being saved from premature retirement and reversing plans to shut down. In 2025, more than 17 gigawatts of coal-power electricity generation were saved.
According to DOE's Resource Adequacy Report, blackouts were on track to potentially increase 100 times by 2030 if the U.S. continued to take reliable power offline as it did during the Biden administration.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that the WECC-Rocky Mountain assessment area faces challenges from an aging thermal resource fleet, which can lead to unplanned outages, exacerbated by supply chain issues, and vendor availability.
This order is in effect beginning on June 29, 2026, through September 26, 2026.
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Original text here: https://www.energy.gov/articles/trump-administration-keeps-coal-fired-power-generation-alive-colorado
