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Law­makers are push­ing ahead with two bills that would tweak cer­tain parts of the Fed­er­al Com­mu­nic­a­tions Com­mis­sion’s con­tro­ver­sial net-neut­ral­ity rules—the sig­na­ture In­ter­net-policy achieve­ment of the Obama ad­min­is­tra­tion. But even as Re­pub­lic­ans try to chip away at the sweep­ing In­ter­net reg­u­la­tions, the real at­ten­tion re­mains fixed on the D.C. Cir­cuit Court of Ap­peals, which is ex­pec­ted to soon rule on the broad­band in­dustry’s law­suit against the FCC. As long as a Demo­crat is in the White House, the courts pose the only real threat to the reg­u­la­tions, which re­quire that In­ter­net traffic be treated equally. Demo­crats con­sider the rules cru­cial for

A self-driving car can’t get you out of a traffic jam. That’s something Republican Sen. John Thune learned from the passenger seat of a modified Chrysler 300c from Continental on Tuesday as the Senate Commerce Committee explored autonomous driving technology. “We went out into Virginia. Of course we hit the 395 traffic,” said Thune, R-S.D., who is the committee chairman, referring to the interstate heading south from Washington. “Evidently driverless cars are not going to help our traffic jams.” Once the car reached suburban Arlington, it switched into self-driving mode. “It’s really amazing, just way more than I’ve seen or thought possible,”

Senator Steve Daines on Monday applauded the House of Representative’s passage of legislation to ensure the completion of two hydroelectric facilities in Montana. The legislation would provide for the reinstatement and three-year extension of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for Clark Canyon Dam Hydro Project in Dillon, Montana and a six-year extension of the FERC license for the Gibson Dam Hydro Project near Augusta, Montana. “The Gibson Dam and Clark Canyon Dam are two projects that are critical for tax revenue and jobs in Montana communities,” Daines stated. “I’m excited to see bipartisan support for the completion of

The Obama administration is reportedly poised to indict the Iranian hackers responsible for infiltrating a New York dam in 2013. The anticipated move is widely seen as an attempt to deter Tehran’s rapidly developing cyber program, and head off concerns that the country will use a new influx of resources from its recently struck nuclear deal to fund cyber warfare efforts. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said Adam Segal, a cyber policy specialist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign relations.  But conservatives worry it will do little to deter Iran. If the White House publicly blames Iran for

A U.S. Senate hearing has been scheduled for March 17 to consider a bill that would protect East Rosebud Creek in the Beartooth Mountains. The proposal would designate as Wild and Scenic the 13 miles of the creek from its start near Fossil Lake to East Rosebud Lake and the seven-mile stretch from East Rosebud Lake to the Custer National Forest Service boundary. East Rosebud Lake is not included because private property surrounds the lake. Only public land in the National Forest would be part of the Wild and Scenic designation. Leslie Ziegler, of Friends of East Rosebud, said Friday