U.S. Supreme Court looks poised to allow $8 billion for rural and low-income broadband and phone services

The Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.
(Adobe Stock photo)

The U.S. Supreme Court seems likely to approve continued funding for an $8 billion program for broadband and phone service maintenance and expansion in rural and poor parts of the U.S., reports Mark Sherman of The Associated Press. In what is considered a "new test of federal regulatory power," justices are "reviewing an appellate ruling that struck down as unconstitutional the Universal Service Fund, the tax that has been added to phone bills for nearly 30 years."

John Fritze of CNN reports, "A conservative 'consumer awareness group' challenged [USF] as an unconstitutional 'delegation' of the power of Congress to levy taxes. What’s worse, the group argues, a private entity calculates the amount of money that must be contributed. . . . .The Supreme Court has not invoked the non-delegation doctrine – or the idea that Congress cannot delegate its authority – since the 1930s. It has, for decades, permitted delegations under certain conditions."

The court seem sympathetic to communities that receive USF dollars. Sherman reports, "Liberal and conservative justices alike said they were concerned about the potentially devastating consequences of eliminating the fund that has benefited tens of millions of Americans."

Should the conservative-led court uphold USF funding, the ruling will be a departure from its ongoing efforts to "rein in" federal agencies, Sherman writes. "The Trump administration, which has moved aggressively to curtail administrative agencies in other areas, is defending the FCC program."

Consumer Research calls USF "a 'nightmare scenario' in which Congress has set no limits on how much the FCC can raise to fund the program," Sherman reports. “'Predictably, the USF tax rate has skyrocketed. It was under 4% in 1998 but now approaches 37%,' lawyers for the group wrote."

Congress established the Universal Service Fund in 1996. Fritze explains, "Telecommunications companies contribute billions to that fund – a cost that is passed on to consumers – to pay for programs like E-Rate, which lowers the cost of high-speed internet for libraries and schools."

The court's decision is expected in June.

Quick hits: Deceptive ice cream; no cells in some classrooms; most Americans like these four TV shows; rural road safety

Life Raft Treats ‘Not Fried Chicken’ Ice Cream Bucket
is a fan favorite. (Life Raft Treats photo)

It may look like a fried chicken leg, but it's mail-order ice cream. "We tested the most intriguing of the current wave of mail-order ice cream sandwiches and sandwich-like treats," reports Nicole Taylor of The Wall Street Journal. "Small producers around the country have the technology (and the dry ice) to ship nationally, right to your front door." Read all the Journal's picks here.

If there's one thing many teachers would like removed from students' grip, it's cell phones. "More than 70 percent of high school teachers say student phone distraction is a 'major problem,'" reports Natasha Singer of The New York Times. "That’s why states are mounting a bipartisan effort to crack down on rampant student cellphone use. So far this year, at least eight states have passed laws, issued orders or adopted rules to curb phone use among students during school hours."

Fresh July snowfall dotting the tundra and the mountains just outside the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska (Adobe Stock photo)

Looking to take in U.S. national parks, but not willing or able to handle all the people? Don't worry, there are still places to explore. "These more remote U.S. parks, from Alaska to American Samoa, are kept well away from the bustling crowds," reports National Geographic. "The Gates of the Arctic National Park, in Alaska, is one of the marvels of the U.S. national park system. This and other parks lie on roads less traveled, and take some extra incentive to visit." Find National Geographic's five hidden gem picks here.

Part of getting prepped for football season means tending to the football field's soil, which can be dangerous to athletes if it's too hard. To test soil "toughness," professionals use a score from the Clegg Impact Soil tester, explains Rebecca Schweitzer-Benner of Lancaster Farming. "The maximum firmness score allowed for NFL fields is 85. . . . Field maintenance can involve adjusting pH, fertility and soil structure. Professional fields require more detailed management than high school fields do, and often more fertilizer, frequent aeration and irrigation. Also, lots of mowing."

All that's left of this show's victims
are their bones. (Fox TV photo)

New research reveals that Americans from all political walks of life share an affinity for watching five TV shows, writes Johanna Blakley for The Conversation. Those shows include “America’s Funniest Home Videos, Bones, Criminal Minds, MythBusters and Pawn Stars. . . . Four of these shows were well-liked, but Pawn Stars was actually one of the least-liked shows in our sample of 50. . . . It had the dubious distinction of being the most hate-watched show in America." To read more about American blue, red and purple TV viewing habits, click here.

Now that back-to-school season is in full swing, it's a good time to remind high school drivers of the best ways to stay safe on rural roads, reports Lisa Foust Prater of Successful Farming:

• Always wear seat belts and insist that passengers do, as well.
• Drive cautiously and within the speed limit.
• Be patient when driving behind a large or slow-moving vehicle; be aware you may not be able to see oncoming traffic.
• Pass only when the road is clear.
• Ride with your children from time to time and continue to teach them even after they have a driver’s license.
• Never let anyone ride in the bed of a pickup

Landline use might be fading, but many rural residents still rely on it during power outages and emergencies

Landlines don't go down during power
outages. (Photo by A. Spratt, Unsplash)

When emergencies strike in remote areas, the unreliability of cell phone and broadband services can become a stark reality, which is why many rural residents want to keep their landlines. "The number of landline users has plummeted, and providers are looking at transitioning customers to cellphones or home telephone service over broadband connections," reports Heather Kelly for The Washington Post. "But for millions of people, newer alternatives are either unavailable, too expensive, or are unreliable when it matters most: in an emergency."

Because landline phones use copper lines to transfer electricity, "as long as a phone is corded or charged, it will work during a power outage," Kelly explains. "Landlines are unaffected by power outages, making them a necessary backstop in rural areas. Many of those same areas have inadequate cellular or internet coverage."

Enumclaw in King County, Wash., sits in
the shadowof Mt. Rainier. (Wikipedia map)

About a quarter of Americans still have a landline, but far fewer rely on it for daily use. "The largest group of people holding onto their landlines are 65 and older," Kelly reports. "Susan Reiter has had a landline in her Enumclaw, Wash., home since 1978. The power goes out multiple times a year, says Reiter, usually caused by fierce wind and other weather events. But the landline always works, she says, making it her best option if there's an emergency and she needs to call 911."

AT&T is one company looking to cut costs by cutting landline service. It asked the California Public Utilities Commission to "end its obligation to provide landline service in parts of the state," Kelly adds. "Hundreds of California residents called into CPUC public meetings. . . .The vast majority said maintaining landline service was a safety issue, citing power outages, wildfires and floods as times when their landlines are the only way to reach 911 or get information on evacuations."

As calling options evolve, replacing landlines as an emergency stopgap seems possible; however, getting people to trust newer technology may be tricky. "Apple added a satellite-connected emergency response service to the iPhone 14 in 2022," Kelly reports. "For people with a landline they've had for decades, the promise of new technology doesn't compete with the security of something that has worked for so long."