Senate Votes to Restore Net Neutrality
BU IN DC
Anthony Janetos, director of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, met with officials at the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others, to discuss environmental research on May 15 and 16.
SENATE VOTES TO RESTORE NET NEUTRALITY
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution (S. J. Res. 52) introduced by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) to reinstate the Federal Communications Commission Open Internet order, which was repealed by the Trump Administration in December 2017. Universities supported Sen. Markey’s effort to restore “net neutrality” regulations, which give users equal access to web content, because they want research and educational materials to be easily accessible online. Net neutrality supporters now face an uphill battle to force a similar vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and send the resolution to the White House.
WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EFFORT
Last week, the White House hosted a summit for government, industry, and academic leaders to discuss research, workforce development, and regulatory barriers regarding artificial intelligence (AI). During the Artificial Intelligence for American Industry summit, the White House announced the creation of a committee within the National Science and Technology Council that will provide guidance on federal AI policy and research. Representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will lead the committee.
ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES NEW VISA OVERSTAY RULES
On May 11, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed new guidelines for the treatment of non-immigrant visitors to the United States who do not comply with the rules of their F, J, or M visas. Under the proposal, international students and scholars could be considered unlawfully present immediately after violating the rules of their visa, rather than when there is a formal finding of a violation by an immigration official. Non-compliant visitors may then be banned from entering the U.S. again. The public is invited to comment on the rules, which could go into effect in August.