Latest news with #DigitalEquityProgram
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois to lose $23.7M in broadband funding after Trump cuts ‘woke' federal program
CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois stands to lose more than $23.7 million in federal funding after the Trump administration cut an Internet expansion program the president described as a 'woke' giveaway based on race. The Digital Equity Act, enabled by the Biden administration's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, was a $2.75 billion program that promised funding for digital skills training, broadband expansion, device access, and workforce readiness. 'I have spoken with my wonderful Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and we agree that the Biden/Harris so-called 'Digital Equity Act' is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!' Illinois was set to receive $23.7 million from the program. 'The internet is a key to our economy. In Illinois, we need to make sure our many rural areas have the tools they need to access the internet and the doorways it opens for jobs, education, and telemedicine,' said Gov. JB Pritzker. 'Instead of enabling more people to participate in our economy, Donald Trump is turning his back on rural America, veterans, seniors, and other communities who deserve the opportunity to use the internet to access basic services and help grow our economy.' According to the Governor's Office, the funding was targeted at 10 million Illinoisians who have 'historically experienced lower rates of computer and internet access.' Over 260 Illinois groups applied for funding after the grant's announcement. The state provided handouts of more than 1,400 computers, held 4,300 digital skills training classes, and held 900 community outreach events. 'Because of the Trump Administration's spiteful crusade to gut critical government programs, Illinoisans will lose the internet access that allows them to speak with their doctor, complete homework assignments, or pay their bills. The President seems to forget that there are real people who are harmed by his reckless declarations, and the termination of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant is just the latest example,' said U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL). According to the Governor's Office, an Illinois-wide internet use phone survey revealed at least 1.3 million residents across approximately 540,000 households have low digital literacy skills, meaning they do not feel confident using the internet to complete at least one of the basic tasks included in the survey, such as creating a resume. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digital grant program halted by Trump administration, state says
Indiana had been awarded $15 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Funding to implement elements of the state's plan. (Getty Images) Indiana is suspending the application period for a Digital Opportunity Grant program, which opened April 30, under orders from President Donald Trump's administration. The Indiana Broadband Office announced Monday morning that it 'has been notified by our federal partners to suspend' the program. 'At this time, we do not have any further information, but we will share any updates with you as we receive them,' the office added. Previously called the 'Digital Equity Program,' it was part of the federal Digital Equity Act. The 2021 legislation provided $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. They were intended to ensure 'that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy,' according to the office's website. Trump railed against the program last week, calling it 'totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL' in a Truth Social Post last week, the Hill reported. 'No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway,' he wrote. 'I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!' The effort aimed to address systemic barriers to digital inclusion for certain populations: aging, incarcerated, disabled, low-income, rural and other people. Veterans, racial and ethnic minorities, and those with language barriers were also targeted for the help. Indiana was awarded $842,000 in 2022 as part of the Digital Equity Planning Grant to fund the creation of the state's first 'digital equity plan' — although the office now refers to it as a 'digital opportunity plan.' The Hoosier plan was developed in collaboration with the Purdue Center for Regional Development and was accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in April 2024. Then, the state was allocated $15 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant funding to implement the plan. The state held a May 5 webinar to show entities how to apply, and had another scheduled for June. The deadline to apply was June 13. Those eligible to seek the grants were: Political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities of the state, such as local government units and agencies responsible for adult education, literacy, or public housing. Foundations, corporations, institutions, or associations that are not-for-profit entities and not classified as schools. Community anchor institutions, including schools. Local education agencies. Entities that carry out workforce development programs. Partnerships between any of the entities described above.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump rips program to bring high-speed internet to rural areas as ‘racist' and ‘totally unconstitutional'
President Donald Trump lashed out on Thursday against legislation signed by former President Joe Biden aimed at increasing access to high-speed internet, arguing that it was 'racist' and 'unconstitutional.' 'I have spoken with my wonderful Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and we agree that the Biden/Harris so-called 'Digital Equity Act' is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday afternoon. It was a statement that made Trump's wish to dismantle the work of his predecessor clear. The legislation was part of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill Biden signed early in his term in office. It aims to improve access to high-speed internet in communities with limited access. The legislation was enacted to help a number of groups, such as veterans, older people, the disabled, and rural communities. But Trump took aim at the law for also trying to boost internet access for ethnic and racial minorities. 'No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!' he added on Truth Social. However, the legislation barely cites race, The New York Times noted. It only says that the program could cover racial minorities while also including a nondiscrimination clause which states that people cannot be excluded from the program 'on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.' Such language was borrowed from the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Digital Equity Act delivers $60 million worth of grants to states and territories to aid them in creating plans to make internet access more equal. It also provides for $2.5 billion in grants to enact those plans. Some of those funds have already been approved and sent on to a number of states, including some conservative, rural states, such as Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, and Kansas. Hundreds of millions in further funding were approved during the final weeks of the Biden administration, but have yet to be disbursed, according to The New York Times. Congressional appropriations commandeered the funds, and the initiative is overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Commerce. However, any cancellation of the funding would likely face pushback in the courts. The Trump administration has experienced some success in temporarily blocking challenges to its suspension of grants connected to programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, in late March, a federal appeals court left in place a ruling by a lower court that stopped the Office of Management and Budget from putting in place a freeze on federal funding to states. The court noted that the freeze posed a clear risk to states that depend on the financing.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump: Biden high-speed internet program ‘racist,' ‘unconstitutional'
President Trump ripped former President Biden's high-speed internet program Thursday, vowing to end what he called a 'racist' and 'illegal' initiative. Trump said he spoke with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the Biden-era Digital Equity Act, which allocated about $2.75 billion for programs that provide technology, including the internet, and skills for all Americans. 'We [Trump and Lutnick] agree that the Biden/Harris so-called 'Digital Equity Act' is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday. 'No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!' Biden signed the Digital Equity Act into law in 2021 as part of a $1 trillion infrastructure package to further the former administration's 'internet for all' initiative. It set aside about $60 million for grants to states and territories to come up with ways to improve access to technology, along with another $2.5 billion to implement the plans. The Trump administration has worked to roll back several diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The internet for all program was intended to apply to a variety of groups. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the original author of the Digital Equity Act, swiped back at Trump's post, writing in a statement, 'As usual the President has no idea what he's talking about.' 'I wrote the Digital Equity Act to help close the digital divide in America—it's about making sure seniors can get online and equipping every student in every classroom with the tools they need to succeed, whether that's a hotspot to take home or a laptop,' Murray wrote. 'My law provides maximal flexibility to cities, states, and Tribes so every local community can decide for themselves how they invest Digital Equity dollars—that's why it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,' she continued. The grants were appropriated through Congress, and their potential cancellation is likely to face legal challenges. Murray argued Trump would be 'stealing from the American people' should he refuse to spend the appropriated funding. 'It is absolutely insane that resources meant to help red and blue communities—everyone from local school districts and libraries to workforce training programs and Tribes—close the digital divide will be illegally blocked because the President doesn't like the word equity,' Murray continued. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Now Thinks High Speed Internet Is 'Racist'
Trump thinks providing poor and rural Americans with high-speed internet is 'racist' and 'woke.' The president has decided to end the Digital Equity Act, Biden-era legislation that aims to expand high-speed internet across the country. 'I have spoken with my wonderful Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and we agree that the Biden/Harris so-called 'Digital Equity Act' is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. 'No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!' The Act does not explicitly mention race. All it says is that people can't be blocked from using the Act 'on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.' This language is straight from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law provided many red states with grants to create and implement plans to make internet access more accessible. These plans have already been approved in conservative states like Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, and Kansas. Internet access is a massive barrier to education, opportunity, and upward mobility. This legislation attempted to remedy that for people everywhere, especially in regions that went heavily for Trump. How is that a racist, woke handout?
