Latest news with #SenateCommerceCommittee
Reuters
28-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Airlines oppose limiting US ability to use facial recognition software at airport checkpoints
WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Groups representing major U.S. airlines, travel companies and airports on Monday urged the Senate to reject a bill that would limit the ability of the Transportation Security Administration to use facial recognition software at security checkpoints. The Senate Commerce Committee is set on Wednesday to consider bipartisan legislation to protect Americans' ability to opt out of TSA facial recognition screenings at airports and prevent abuse of passenger data. Airlines for America, U.S. Travel and two airport groups opposed the bill in a letter seen by Reuters saying it could "increase wait times considerably by slowing down identity verification at every airport security checkpoint."
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ATA's push for teen truckers will make capacity glut worse
The trucking industry finds itself mired in one of the most protracted freight recessions on record, a predicament exacerbated by a flood of capacity that has outstripped demand. This surplus stems from an industry with negligible barriers to entry, where supply can readily overshoot, challenging the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) persistent claim of a perpetual driver shortage. That narrative, however, merits scrutiny—not least because it may serve interests beyond those of the industry it purports to represent. The ATA's assertion of a driver shortage sends a misleading signal. It lures vulnerable workers and aspiring entrepreneurs into a market already saturated, with banks naively extending credit on the premise of guaranteed demand and pricing power—hallmarks of a classic shortage that, in trucking, are conspicuously absent. Seasoned operators know this well: neither element holds sway in today's environment. Halting the influx of new drivers, rather than fueling it through congressional programs and CDL mills, could stem the capacity glut. Yet the ATA persists, a stance that appears at odds with its members' welfare. Indeed, the ATA testified before the Senate Commerce Committee this week, urging lawmakers to lower the interstate driving age from 21 to 18. Such a move would further open the taps on new entrants, potentially swelling capacity even as the industry buckles under the weight of excess capacity. Lowering the truck driver age to 18 would risk unleashing a torrent of new participants into an already oversupplied market, exacerbating the glut rather than alleviating it. Safety advocates warn of heightened accident rates among younger drivers, who are statistically more prone to distractions and crashes due to inexperience. Economically, this influx could depress freight rates further, prolonging the recession for carriers already operating on razor-thin margins and making a bad situation worse. Active trucks have surged from 1.5 million in January 2017 to 2.1 million today, a 40% increase, largely driven by a steady stream of new drivers. The ATA may thus reflect organizational incentives rather than its members' needs. A trade association whose dues scale with the size of the market favor unchecked growth over its constituents' profitability. Prioritizing policies that address oversupply, rather than encouraging more capacity through new entrants, could curb the excess and offer a path out of the current crisis. Until then, the ATA's stance risks perpetuating a crisis it claims to address. The post ATA's push for teen truckers will make capacity glut worse appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Senate Confirms Official to Lead $42.5 Billion Broadband Program
The US Senate confirmed Arielle Roth to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Commerce Department branch responsible for administering broadband funding and managing federal spectrum use. The vote on Wednesday was 52-42. Roth comes to the post from the office of Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican head of the Senate Commerce Committee, where she worked as his telecom policy director.
CBS News
13-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Sen. Maria Cantwell says improving weather warnings after Texas floods is a "national responsibility"
Sen. Maria Cantwell said Sunday the federal government must take responsibility for investigating the breakdown in flood warnings during the recent deadly storms in Texas, calling it a "national responsibility" to improve forecasting systems and prevent future disasters. "It's not community to community. It's a national system," said Cantwell on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "And we share that with local people to help them best respond." Since the July 4 flash floods in Kerr County, Texas, officials have confirmed at least 129 people are dead and more than 170 remain missing as of Sunday morning. Over the weekend, search and recovery efforts were temporarily halted for the first time due to new flood threats, as additional rain and rising water levels prompted fresh warnings from the National Weather Service. The Washington Democrat, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said Sunday that she plans to send a letter to President Trump outlining bipartisan recommendations to upgrade the country's forecasting infrastructure. Among them are improvements to Doppler radar, increased use of ocean buoys to track sea temperatures, and enhanced data analytics and computing power for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "What the real question is, is what can we do to improve the weather forecasting of this nation," Cantwell said. "To use science, to use better assets, to really do a once in a lifetime investment to upgrade the system." She pointed to more accurate tornado forecasts in the Midwest – where residents received two hours of warning – as evidence that federal investment in weather science can save lives. "We should be the smartest government in the world using technology, analyzing the data, and putting a forecast system into place that gives people that kind of system," she said. The senator also warned against proposed budget cuts and privatization efforts under the Trump administration, which she said could undermine NOAA's mission. During the Texas floods, key forecasting and IT positions at the National Weather Service were unfulfilled, according to the union that represents NWS staffers. The vacancies raise questions about whether staffing shortages may have contributed to delays in emergency alerts. But Cantwell said "it's a miniscule amount of money" compared to the cost of disaster recovery, and she added that small businesses and first responders rely on government-issued alerts. Cantwell said she hasn't decided whether she will vote to confirm NOAA administrator nominee Dr. Neil Jacobs. The senator said she was pleased in a Senate hearing this week that Jacobs made "some very positive" commitments about supporting the Organic Act, which is aimed at establishing the NOAA as an independent agency. Before making a decision, Cantwell said she wants to "drill down" on Jacobs' thoughts about how to preserve the science mission amid increased spending on storms.
Politico
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Behind the tanked AI moratorium
With help from Mohar Chatterjee Programming note: We'll be off Friday but will be back in your inboxes on Monday. WASHINGTON WATCH At the center of Sen. Marsha Blackburn's (R-Tenn.) decision this week to withdraw support for an artificial intelligence measure she worked on with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), was her Kids Online Safety Act, according to four people familiar with the situation. The four people, who were granted anonymity to speak about private discussions, said Blackburn had hoped to limit the scope and span of a pause on state AI rules and in turn advance her legislation to a markup in the Senate Commerce Committee, which Cruz chairs. Key context: Last year, Blackburn and her bill co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) nearly got the measure passed. The bill, which requires tech companies to ensure their platforms are designed for kids' safety, passed 91-3 in the Senate. Despite the support of former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, 35 attorneys general and doctor groups, the bill never came to the floor for a vote in the House. Since then, progress has been slow. Cruz hasn't brought up KOSA for a markup, even though his committee has advanced other online safety bills this year, including the Kids Off Social Media Act, which he co-sponsored with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), as well as the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act. In hopes of moving her bill, Blackburn worked out an amendment with Cruz on the AI moratorium, the four people said. The amendment would have allowed states to enforce laws passed in recent years to keep kids safe from online sexual predators, bullying, drug sales and other negative health impacts. But the bill still prevented states from putting 'undue or disproportionate burden' on AI systems. What happened next: Midday Monday, a coalition of 130 organizations wrote to Senate leaders explaining that the exemption in Blackburn and Cruz's amendment wouldn't work because state laws protecting children and adults online are intended to burden AI platforms. Some 17 Republican governors also opposed the moratorium. including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Blackburn went to Cruz on Monday and tried to get the 'undue or disproportionate burden' language removed from the bill. But Cruz wouldn't budge, one of the people said. By Monday night, she amended her amendment with Cruz's legislation to include KOSA, tying the amendment's passage to a bill that would create a national framework for protecting kids, according to three of the people. The move was symbolic — the amendment was not likely to pass. But it signaled her priority. She then teamed up with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to introduce a new amendment striking the original AI moratorium from the megabill altogether. In the predawn hours on Tuesday that amendment passed 99-1. (Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was the lone nay vote.) Cruz, clearly frustrated, said the moratorium had Trump's support. Cruz office didn't return a request for comment, and Blackburn's office declined to comment. WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. We will be off tomorrow for the holiday — and will be back in your inboxes on Monday! Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. CHECKUP A health care system serving 2.5 million patients across Massachusetts is turning to artificial intelligence to keep people out of the emergency room during heat waves. When extreme heat hits, emergency departments are packed with people experiencing dehydration, heat cramps or kidney or heart problems, reports POLITICO's Ariel Wittenberg. 'We'll see a 10 percent jump of people in the emergency department not just for heat illness, but also weakness or syncope or other conditions due to the heat,' said Dr. Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at Mass General Brigham, a nonprofit academic health system that's developing a new alert system to warn people about the dangers of heat waves. In February, MGB was one of five applicants to join a sustainability accelerator operated by IBM. The program aims to help communities facing environmental and economic stress through the use of technology. IBM received more than 100 proposals on how to use AI to advance climate sustainability and resilience. The idea is simple: Use AI to comb through electronic health records to identify patients who have health conditions or take drugs that might make them particularly vulnerable to heat. The AI program would warn them when a heat wave is approaching and instruct patients on how to protect themselves so they don't end up in an emergency room. The tool would include security features to protect patient health information. Ideally, the combination of personalized information, real-time heat data, and 'actionable messages' will help empower patients to protect themselves. 'We think patients will pay more attention if it is their doctor, their hospital saying, 'Hey, you're at risk and here's what to do,' than if they just see on the news that it will be hot tomorrow,' Biddinger said. Why it matters: Heat kills an estimated 2,300 people every year, in the United States, according to federal records, more than any other type of extreme weather event, and results in the hospitalization of thousands of others. Those numbers are expected to increase as climate change turbocharges temperatures, with one estimate from the Center for American Progress calculating that emergency rooms could be inundated with an additional 235,000 visitors each summer. The same report estimates that health care costs related to extreme heat would amount to $1 billion annually.
