Senators passed the Music Modernization Act Tuesday evening. The vote on S-2823 was unanimous, as expected, and by voice vote.

A third tranche of tariffs, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, takes effect Sept. 24 at a 10 percent rate, rising to 25 percent after Jan. 1, said President Donald Trump Monday evening. The administration will “immediately pursue” a fourth batch of duties, on $267 billion of additional imports, if China retaliates against the third installment, said Trump. "China has been unwilling to change its practices.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, placed a hold on FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s reconfirmation for a full five-year term ending in 2023 over the senator’s continued concerns about the agency’s handling of the USF Rural Health Care Program under Chairman Ajit Pai. Confirmation of Carr and FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks has been stalled repeatedly in recent months. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and others point to larger political factors as the major hurdle.

A wireless infrastructure order set for a vote at the FCC's Sept. 26 commissioners' meeting takes a “balanced approach” by allowing local governments to retain some autonomy over their reviews of small-cell deployments in rights of way while also streamlining the process, Commissioner Brendan Carr said Tuesday in a speech at the Indiana State House. NATOA officials raised concerns about the coming action during their meeting last week, we previously reported.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated one part of the FCC’s decision easing regulation of the business data service rates of major incumbent telcos. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based panel heard the case in May and asked few questions then (our report here). The court’s sole quibble was on TDM transport.

President Donald Trump directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider raising the third round of Trade Act Section 301 tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent, the USTR and others confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

New York Public Service commissioners voted 3-0 to revoke the state's 2016 conditional approval of Charter Communications’ buy of Time Warner Cable, directing the acquirer to submit a transition plan within 60 days. At a Friday special session, commissioners also voted 3-0 for an order directing PSC counsel to begin a civil enforcement case against Charter in New York Supreme Court seeking civil financial penalties for past failures.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld FCC reinstatement of the UHF discount, denying anti-consolidation groups’ petition for review because they didn’t show sufficient standing, according to a judgment (in Pacer) issued Wednesday morning. Some had thought the FCC might lose the case, based on oral argument, but standing was always a question.

With FCC members having unanimously approved a hearing designation order on Sinclair buying Tribune, the agency said Wednesday evening that the HDO will be released the next day. That was despite the companies changing their plan earlier Wednesday. Some of the divestitures that would have gone to broadcasters linked to Sinclair would instead be sold to others once buyers were found.

With "serious concerns" on Sinclair buying Tribune, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is asking commissioners to OK a draft order to designate, for an administrative law judge hearing, issues involving some proposed divestitures. “Based on a thorough review of the record," Pai said Monday morning, "the evidence we’ve received suggests that certain station divestitures that have been proposed to the FCC would allow Sinclair to control those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law."