Tag

Policy And Regulation

All articles tagged with #policy and regulation

policy-and-regulation23 days ago•22 min saved

Trump slashes fuel economy standards, shifting auto policy to market forces

President Trump approved new federal fuel economy standards on September 26, 2026, lowering the required average for cars and light trucks from 50.4 miles per gallon to 34.5 miles per gallon by model year 2031. This move, to be formally announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday, removes previous mandates that favored electric vehicles. While the administration claims this will lower vehicle costs, critics note that Congress already repealed penalties for non-compliance, making the new standards largely advisory. The decision occurs amid rising gasoline prices and a global trend toward electric vehicles.

via nypost.com|

#automakers #electric-vehicles #fuel-economy-standards

policy-and-regulation27 days ago•6 min saved

FCC’s Broadband Permitting Overhaul Faces Legal and Political Backlash

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is facing intense opposition from local governments over a proposal to preempt state and local broadband permitting rules. While the agency seeks to impose 120-day deadlines and fee caps to accelerate infrastructure deployment, critics argue the move exceeds federal authority and ignores public safety concerns. Industry groups support the changes, but legal challenges and internal FCC dissent suggest the plan may stall or fail in court.

via Ars Technica|

#broadband #fcc #local-government

policy-and-regulation28 days ago•18 min saved

Judge Orders EPA to Reinstate $7B Solar for All Program

A federal judge has vacated the EPA's decision to terminate the $7 billion Solar for All program, ruling that the agency acted without statutory authority. The ruling, issued by Judge Mary McElroy on September 18, 2026, requires the EPA to reinstate the program, which was part of the Inflation Reduction Act's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The program aimed to provide solar energy access to low-income communities, and its cancellation had left billions in funding unspent. The decision is seen as a significant setback for the Trump administration's efforts to roll back clean energy initiatives.

via Utility Dive|

#clean-energy #epa #inflation-reduction-act

policy-and-regulation1 month ago•2 min saved

EU Draft Law Targets Online Games with New Restrictions on Lootboxes and Login Bonuses

The European Commission has published a draft for the EU KIDS Act, which proposes sweeping restrictions on online games sold in EU territories. While the most severe bans on social media apply to under-13s, the draft also targets gaming features like login bonuses, in-game currency transparency, and user communications. The legislation aims to prevent addictive design patterns and requires parental controls, though its application to games remains legally ambiguous compared to social media platforms.

via GamesIndustry.biz|

#child-safety #digital-regulation #eu-kids-act

policy-and-regulation1 month ago

DHS H-1B Oversight Rule Reaches White House Amid Talent Flight Concerns

A Department of Homeland Security proposal to tighten H-1B contractor scrutiny and revise cap exemptions has reached the White House for review. Concurrently, the administration is considering a $103,265 fee for cap-subject workers and a $100,000 fee for Optional Practical Training (OPT) participants. Critics argue these measures risk driving international AI talent to rival nations like China, while proponents frame the changes as necessary to curb visa abuse and increase program integrity.

via Bloomberg Law News|

#ai-talent #dhs-regulation #h-1b-visa

technology4 months ago•2 min saved

Anthropic Warns AI Could Start Designing Its Own Upgrades

Anthropic warns that AI progress is accelerating toward recursive self-improvement, where frontier models could autonomously design, build, and train more capable successors, creating a feedback loop with minimal human involvement; the company urges lawmakers to engage early and develop tools to verify and align AI outputs with human intentions.

via Axios|

#ai #anthropic #autonomous-agents

education6 months ago•5 min saved

DOJ Delays Public Colleges’ ADA Website Deadline by One Year

The Department of Justice pushed back the effective date of its stricter ADA digital-accessibility rules for public colleges to April 26, 2027 (April 26, 2028 for small entities), delaying deadlines for updating websites and course materials. Citing costs and coordination burdens, the interim final rule aims to ease institutions into compliance, drawing praise from some higher-ed groups but criticism from disability-rights advocates who warn that delays prolong barriers to inclusive education.

via The Chronicle of Higher Education|

#ada #disability-and-accessibility #education

environment8 months ago•3 min saved

Unchecked growth threatens Earth's biodiversity, 150 countries warn

More than 150 countries signed an IPBES assessment warning that GDP-focused growth and other unsustainable economic activity are driving biodiversity loss: about 1 in 8 of the world’s roughly 8 million species are threatened and 75% of Earth’s land has been altered by humans. Markets fail to price biodiversity’s services, so the report calls for broad policy, legal, and regulatory reforms—business action alone isn’t enough—amid shifting EU rules and the US’s withdrawal from IPBES.

via politico.eu|

#biodiversity #environment #gdp-growth