The Big Story. Trump’s STEM push. The White House released a report this week aimed boosting the country’s science, technology, engineering, and math skills over the next five years, including through work with educational institutions like colleges and libraries as well employers, nonprofits, and others.
The report, developed by the National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, lays out three overarching goals: building foundations for STEM literacy for all Americans, increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, and creating learning opportunities to foster a STEM-educated workforce for the jobs of the future.
The report articulates “a Vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment” and “represents an urgent call to action for a nationwide collaboration with learners, families, educators, communities, and employers—a ‘North Star’ for the STEM community as it collectively charts a course for the Nation’s success.”
Policy Roundup:
Net neutrality. Zach Shallbetter, president of the board for Washington-based Inland Northwest Technology Alliance, explains in a new op-ed why net neutrality protections are critical to support the growth of the tech sector in the Spokane region.
Two new cryptocurrency bills. Two lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would have the Commodity Futures Trading Commission draft recommendations on protecting consumers in cryptocurrency markets while encouraging innovation to allow the U.S. to be the global leader in cryptocurrency.
Tech talks trade. Tech CEOs--including from Microsoft, Google, and IBM--were at the White House this week to talk about trade and global intellectual property issues with members of the Trump administration, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
Fueling the fire. With Congress already planning to work on consumer privacy legislation next year, lawmakers are seeing the recent data breach that compromised the data of hundreds of millions of Marriott International customers as another push to protect consumers’ privacy and security online.
Apple/Qualcomm gets a date. Despite rumors of a settlement, Apple and Qualcomm are headed to trial in April over the chip maker’s push to charge heightened royalties for Apple’s use of its tech in iPhones.
Startup Roundup:
Cybersecurity Startup Radar. NYC Economic Development Corporation partnered with WaveStone to launch the “New York City Cybersecurity Startup Radar”, an interactive tool and research project that will analyze the cybersecurity market in NYC. Locals hope it will demonstrate that NYC is on track to become a global leader in cybersecurity.
#StartupsEverywhere. Memphis, T.N. Memphis has become an epicenter for the region’s ecosystem, led by Leslie Smith, the president and CEO of Epicenter Memphis. Leslie and her team focus on telling the stories of entrepreneurs to educate lawmakers on policy issues that matter to them, including access to capital and healthcare
