With regularly updated reports, the Press Freedom Tracker website is documenting FCC chairman Brendan Carr’s efforts to punish and intimidate news outlets that have covered Trump and his administration critically: pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incident... Hard to believe this is the same guy:

A software developer used Claude to create Decimen Optical Transfer in one day: it's a new error-free file transfer protocol that uses a phone's camera to scan an animated QR code created "on the fly" in the other phone's browser (NO APP) to move data at 129 kb/s - www.facebook.com/share/r/1LGT...

"Connie Ballmer, billionaire philanthropist and wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, donated $80 million to support NPR’s future... after Trump cut $1.1 billion from public broadcasting" - www.facebook.com/share/p/1F4o...

Billionaire Connie Ballmer just donated $80 million to support NPR after Trump cut $1.1 billion from public broadcasting | Fortune

Ballmer and an anonymous donor gifted the network more than $110 million to support digital transformation and local stations.

bit.ly

🇫🇮 Finland will cut Russia off from international internet traffic starting in 2027 by stopping maintenance of power line supports that carry communication cables

An encouraging chart for those looking for some good news on a Friday. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/u...

How the Pro-Trump Media Ecosystem Is Splintering Ahead of the Midterms

Once united in support of President Trump, right-wing influencers are embroiled in feuds and losing viewers, creating a problem for Republicans in the midterm elections.

nytimes.com

"Meta is partnering with right-wing propaganda outlet Newsmax in an 'AI Content Partnership.' Now, the world’s largest social media tech giant is fusing with America’s most deceptive and right-wing media outlet on AI disinformation."

Corporate Media Is Not Failing—It Is Collaborating

As the fourth estate falls, here's what we must do to stay informed and empowered

qasimrashid.com

We're getting reports that the ISS APRS digipeater is back on the air! It appears to have been enabled following today's STEM event in Russia. Listen on 437.825 MHz and use ARISS in the path to digipeat. Thanks to Thomas Anderson on Facebook and F4MGI on Discord for the reports.

1 of 3: Sarah B. Rogers, "President Trump’s nominee to lead Voice of America’s parent agency, said... she would bring back many of the VOA‘s journalists who have been on paid leave since March 2025, when Trump moved to dismantle the govt-funded news organization" - www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07...

Update from Minho Kim

nytimes.com

"A group of former FCC chairs and top agency officials of both parties are calling on current chairman Brendan Carr to end the early review of broadcast licenses for ABC stations, characterizing it as 'an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process'.” - deadline.com/2026/07/fcc-...

Former FCC Chairs Call Review Of ABC Licenses "An Assault On Free Speech"

The former agency officials signed on to a filing attacking the early renewal process ordered by the Trump administration.

deadline.com

"How students built a new radio station from scratch after [Cleveland State University] gave away WCSB" - www.cleveland.com/news/2026/07...

CSU shut down WCSB — so the students launched XCSB and signed a 5-year studio lease

After CSU transferred the WCSB FM signal to Ideastream despite student protests, former staffers launched XCSB Alternative Media online, but they are still fighting with CSU

cleveland.com

VOA Chinese is using X to teach English. x.com/VOAChinese/s...

Senator asks Dept. of Homeland Security to explain why ICE spent $2 million buying software that can take "covert control" of cellphones to collect messages, photos, location data, etc.: what's the legal basis for deploying this tool & who are the targets? - www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-...

Sen. Gary Peters wants ICE to explain why it bought spyware that can covertly take control of phones

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased commercial spyware that can covertly take control of phones, collect messages, photos and location information.

cbsnews.com

The Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex at Robledo de Chavela municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain on fire. Burgohondo wildfire. 📷 via Infues Avila

The FCC proposes to allow unlicensed Part 15 devices to communicate with satellites in the 902–928 MHz, 2400–2483.5 MHz & 5725–5850 MHz bands. Firmware updates to existing terrestrial devices to add this capability would have to preserve existing technical & power limits docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...

Proposed policy for press access to NYC police radio communications criticized as "vague and in violation of the local law passed this past year." Reporters want real-time access as the law requires; police offer only delayed access & only some channels - www.amny.com/police-fire/...

NYPD policy statement on radio access is ‘vague’ and ‘a violation of the law,’ say press advocates

Press advocates blasted a required policy statement by the NYPD on providing media access to police encrypted radio, calling it ‘vague.'

amny.com

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked Paramount Skydance's $110 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery & CNN. The judge sided with the coalition of 12 states suing to stop the deal as a violation of anti-trust laws - newrepublic.com/post/213262/...

FCC "Commissioner Olivia Trusty cast a decisive vote approving Paramount’s historic $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. Now, the commissioner & a guest enjoyed the star-studded celebration thanks to tickets gifted to her by Paramount worth more than $12,000" - www.propublica.org/article/para...

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals

Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromised the commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of ticket...

propublica.org

"FCC Chair Brendan Carr... was gifted private skybox tickets with Paramount CEO David Ellison and other company executives worth $125,000 each" after the Paramount/Skydance merger was approved - trib.al/d5Z228hhttps...

FCC Officials Got Some Very Nice Gifts From Paramount After Key Votes

A new report reveals how FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, and other FCC officials, were rewarded after votes helping out Paramount.

newrepublic.com

1 of 3 - CZECH REPUBLIC: "Hitrádio 90, which is broadcast only in DAB+, has requested the allocation of 99.3 MHz... the 99.3 FM frequency has become available for possible use in the local market, following the stop of Radio France Internationale programs in" Prague www.facebook.com/share/p/1L8V...

"Unseenlabs, a global pioneer in space-based radio frequency (RF) detection, has deployed the first satellite in its second-generation (Gen 2) constellation, significantly broadening its RF detection capabilities" - www.everythingrf.com/news/details...

Listening to ARISS radio activity is free and easy with a handheld radio or scanner. When the ISS passes overhead, tune to 437.800 MHz FM to hear the ARISS voice repeater, used by amateur radio operators to make contacts through the station.

Fifty years ago, Congress passed a law to stop VOA from becoming a government mouthpiece. This July, as the VOA Charter turns 50, that law is being ignored. #SaveVOA #VOACharter50

"The US Space Force has proven it has battlefield teeth like the other armed forces by adding [the Meadowlands Counter-Communication System] to its arsenal – a ground-based space weapon designed to blind, bamboozle, and blast orbital threats with electromagnetic beams" - newatlas.com/military/spa...

Space Force's high-powered electro beam nullifies hostile satellites

The US Space Force has proven it has battlefield teeth like the other armed forces by adding "Meadowlands" to its arsenal – a ground-based space weapon designed to blind, bamboozle, and blast orbital ...

newatlas.com

"The only things you lose by not using Wi-Fi on your TV are built-in streaming apps and automatic updates for your TV. If you're not overly concerned about either of those, toggling it off can have a positive impact on your experience." - www.pocket-lint.com/i-turned-off...

I turned off Wi-Fi on my TV, and I wish I'd done it years ago

If you're not using your TV's smart features, turning off Wi-Fi can be surprisingly beneficial.

pocket-lint.com

US: Lance Venta's "Radio Insights" newsletter reports recent FCC enforcement actions against 4 FM pirate stations: Lapoderosa 89.1 in Waterbury, CT;  Radio Gold Stars 90.5 in Spring Valley, NY; Manzana FM 94.9 in Bronx, NY; and TOG Radio 105.3, also in the Bronx - radioinsight.com/headlines/36...

RadioInsight - FCC Report 7/5

License Cancellations After going silent in July 2015, Freeland Broadcasting Company surrendered the license of the former Country “100.9 The Farm” WEIO Huntingdon TN. Roser Communications Network sur...

radioinsight.com

"Japan’s Fire Hydrant Sign Co., Ltd. has demonstrated an expansive Wi-Fi network that melds its established infrastructure of street signs with Starlink satellite broadband antennas [to] provide... fallback connectivity in the event of a natural disaster" - www.tomshardware.com/networking/f...

Fire hydrant signs with Starlink antennas tested for emergency Wi-Fi in disaster-prone Japan — existing widespread grid of street-level furniture can be used for communications network fallback

Japan has 120,000 fire hydrant signs nationwide, and this trial took place near Tokyo.

tomshardware.com

"Researchers have issued urgent warnings to the...(FCC) regarding proposals by SpaceX & Reflect Orbital to launch over 1.7 million new satellites into low-Earth orbit...these massive constellations...—create 'devastating consequences' for the future of astronomy" www.commondreams.org/news/elon-mu...

Astronomers Denounce Elon Musk-Led Plan to Pollute Earth's Orbit With 1.7 Million Satellites | Common Dreams

European astronomers are pleading with the FCC to stop Elon Musk's plan to launch 1.7 million satellites, threatening devastating consequences for astronomy. Do we want our night sky filled with artif...

commondreams.org

“Under Kari Lake, VOA pushed a relentless pro-administration line, violating the requirement for reporting that presents not only administration policies but also other perspectives, including disagreement with those policies.” By Jeffrey Trimble.

America’s Silenced Voice

On the nation’s 250th birthday, one voice will be missing from the global conversation about the state of the union.

johnwalcott.substack.com