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US government cuts internet costs for low-income families

AFP

The United States government has reached agreements with 20 major telecom companies to cut costs or raise internet broadband speeds for tens of millions of eligible households, the White House announced Monday.

The “Affordable Connectivity Programme” (ACP) requires internet service providers who have signed up to give eligible households “high-speed, high-quality internet plans” for no more than 30 US dollars per month, the administration said in a statement.

“Lowering prices — including the cost of high-speed internet service — is President (Joe) Biden’s top priority,” said the statement, which added that the new program was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress last year. 

Households are eligible for the program if their income is below twice the US federal poverty level, or if they already qualify for certain other federal poverty alleviation programs such as Medicaid or nutritional assistance.

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The federal poverty level for a family of four in 2022 is $27,750 per year.

The Biden administration estimates more than 48 million households will qualify for the program, with more than 11.5 million households already signed up, the statement said.

Additionally, eligible households can receive a discount of up to 30 dollars per month on any internet service plan offered by a participating provider, with households on Native American tribal lands eligible for discounts of up to 75 dollars per month.

Several major US telecom companies were among those to sign up to offer services through the new program, including Comcast, AT&T, Spectrum, Verizon and Cox Communications.

“We have been working on digital equity issues for over a decade and believe this new program offers even more support to achieve those goals,” said David N. Watson, chief executive and president of Comcast Cable, in a statement.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.

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