A Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Donald Trump's four FTC nominees is expected to touch on a wide range of issues, including the nominees' views on the agency's role in net neutrality, antitrust, cybersecurity and privacy issues, lawmakers and industry observers told us. Trump nominated Paul Weiss antitrust lawyer Joseph Simons, whom he plans to designate chairman; former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips, aide to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas; and former Delta Air Lines Senior Vice President-Legal, Regulatory and International Christine Wilson (see 1801250055 and 1801250066). The hearing is to begin at 9:30 a.m. in 216 Hart.

The “unprecedented amount of rain” that fell on Las Vegas Tuesday was the main culprit responsible for the two-hour power outage that blacked out the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall at the midday peak of Day 2 Wednesday at CES (see 1801100027), said Jeremy Handel, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which runs the LVCC. The flooding rains, coupled with “the accompanying moisture in the air,” caused “condensation” to form on the LVCC’s “electrical equipment which eventually led to the failure,” said Handel. The National Weather Service reported that a record 1.33 inches of rain inundated Las Vegas Tuesday.

Capitol Hill lawmakers delivered their final arguments Wednesday on the FCC's planned Thursday vote to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules. House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., led a letter from more than 100 House Republicans urging the FCC to move forward. “This proposal is a major step forward in the effort to clear the way for the substantial investment necessary to advance our Internet architecture for the next generation and close the digital divide,” they said. “When its effects are fully realized, more Americans than ever will experience the benefits of telemedicine, distance learning, streaming video, and future innovations made possible by broadband.”

Capitol Hill lawmakers delivered their final arguments Wednesday on the FCC's planned Thursday vote to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules. House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., led a letter from more than 100 House Republicans urging the FCC to move forward. “This proposal is a major step forward in the effort to clear the way for the substantial investment necessary to advance our Internet architecture for the next generation and close the digital divide,” they said. “When its effects are fully realized, more Americans than ever will experience the benefits of telemedicine, distance learning, streaming video, and future innovations made possible by broadband.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues made the case Tuesday for repeal of Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act (see 1711220026). Return to "regulatory restraint" of Title I broadband treatment would promote investment and innovation while protecting consumers and competition, including through transparency rules and renewed FTC broadband enforcement, Pai said in a speech at an R Street and Lincoln Network event. He defended his proposed draft ruling and orders against criticisms, including from Hollywood celebrities, and went on the offensive against internet edge providers, which he said were a bigger threat to an open internet than broadband ISPs were. Edge entities disagreed with the criticism.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues made the case Tuesday for repeal of Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act (see 1711220026). Return to "regulatory restraint" of Title I broadband treatment would promote investment and innovation while protecting consumers and competition, including through transparency rules and renewed FTC broadband enforcement, Pai said in a speech at an R Street and Lincoln Network event. He defended his proposed draft ruling and orders against criticisms, including from Hollywood celebrities, and went on the offensive against internet edge providers, which he said were a bigger threat to an open internet than broadband ISPs were. Edge entities disagreed with the criticism.

Antitrust experts think DOJ's litigation seeking to block AT&T's buy of Time Warner faces an arduous uphill climb in court. Some stakeholders applauded the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia (see 1711200064). If fully litigated, "it will define antitrust for years to come," said Gus Hurwitz, co-director, Nebraska College of Law space, cyber and telecom law program. A Justice win would reshape views on vertical transactions, while a loss opens the floodgates to more such transactions, he said.

Antitrust experts think DOJ's litigation seeking to block AT&T's buy of Time Warner faces an arduous uphill climb in court. Some stakeholders applauded the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia (see 1711200064). If fully litigated, "it will define antitrust for years to come," said Gus Hurwitz, co-director, Nebraska College of Law space, cyber and telecom law program. A Justice win would reshape views on vertical transactions, while a loss opens the floodgates to more such transactions, he said.

Antitrust experts think DOJ's litigation seeking to block AT&T's buy of Time Warner faces an arduous uphill climb in court. Some stakeholders applauded the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia (see 1711200064). If fully litigated, "it will define antitrust for years to come," said Gus Hurwitz, co-director, Nebraska College of Law space, cyber and telecom law program. A Justice win would reshape views on vertical transactions, while a loss opens the floodgates to more such transactions, he said.

The White House is willing to yield to demands for changes to Section 702 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authority, which expires at year’s end, Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce said Wednesday at an Aspen Institute event. Joyce announced transparency measures for a program that gathers information on vulnerabilities resulting in “zero day” flaws in products and services. The software industry and some privacy groups welcomed the changes to the Vulnerabilities Equities Process (VEP) Charter as a step toward increasing public understanding of cyber threat information the government holds. Over the past few months, the administration developed a "rigorous standard" that will improve the process and release key detail, Joyce said.