For the last six months, and to be really fair more than the last year, Donald Trump has completely saturated the news media with his tweets, decrees, speeches and campaigns. The U.S. president’s every move and word is dissected and distilled perhaps unlike any other before him, both because of Trump and even those around him (cough, Don Jr., cough).
But the first half of 2017, and the halfway point of Trump’s first year in office has actually borne a number of developments both in and out of Washington, across the country and the globe.
While it may not feel, smell or truly seem real, there is a vast, complicated world outside the White House, and many stories haven’t garnered significant attention due to Trump’s myriad storylines that are simply too long to rehash.
GI Bill Education expanded
Introduced just last week in the House of Representatives, the bipartisan bill would make education benefits for new military recruits who serve three years of active duty a lifetime benefit, according to Military.com. Previously, under the revamped GI Bill post 9/11, the benefit was capped at 15 years. While lawmakers have claimed the bill should pass by the end of the month, it will only apply to new recruits and would take effect in 2018.
The new version of the bill would also extend the benefits to Purple Heart recipients – those who were wounded while serving – even if they did not serve three years, and gives veterans the option to pass the benefit along to a child dependent.
This all began in April, as Congress faced criticism from veterans groups for proposing to pay for the expanded benefits by imposing a “tax” on new recruits.
Net Neutrality
The major clash between lawmakers, the technology sector and internet service providers (ISPs) essentially boils down to how much customers can be charged for using the World Wide Web. ISPs like AT&T and Comcast, and others, are trying to get the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to roll back rules put in place in 2015 that barred them from charging Internet customers more for faster connections. On Monday, ISPs, and their opponents like Amazon, Facebook and Netflix, each pleaded their cases, with Comcast and Verizon claiming the current rules hinder innovation and competition in the market, according to Reuters.
Google, Microsoft, Twitter and many others are worried potentially higher prices could disrupt the marketplace. Currently, the issue remains in the hands of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who in May had a plan passed by a 2-1 vote to start the process of rescinding the rules put in place by President Barack Obama’s Administration. Still up in the air, Pai is scheduled to appear before the Senate in a hearing Wednesday.
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