The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to restore the Obama-era internet regulations known as net neutrality. They were repealed during the Trump administration. The rules aim to prevent internet service providers from "blocking or degrading the delivery of services from competitors like Netflix and YouTube." 

Internet users will probably not notice a difference, thanks to state-level net neutrality rules passed before the federal repeal. But it's important that the "company that connects you to the internet does not get to control what you do on the internet," said advocacy group Public Knowledge to The Associated Press. The FCC's move is "likely to prompt lawsuits from industry groups," The Hill said.

'How the internet has always worked'
"Why does the FCC need this power?" The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial. It's already the case that providers "don't block, throttle or charge more to speed up sites." But the new rules give the FCC "sweeping political control over the internet." 

The FCC now has the authority to "step in when internet service providers are blocking or interfering with the free flow of information online," said The Seattle Times. Telecom companies will challenge the rule, even though polls say net neutrality is popular across the political spectrum. Americans expect internet service without throttling or gatekeeping imposed by providers. "It's how the internet has always worked," the Times said.

But the internet has changed. Where it "begins and ends has become murkier," The Washington Post said. The online world has moved from desktops to phones and other technology. The new rules allow "fast lanes" for enterprise services, and critics say that might create a loophole "large enough to exempt a significant chunk of the internet from regulation."

Spam texts, AI regulated
Thursday's measure also gave the FCC power to regulate "spam robotexts, internet outages [and] digital privacy." FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said the measure would keep providers from selling consumer data or using it to train AI models. Advocates insist greater reach is necessary because the internet has become so pervasive. Americans "need broadband to reach 100% of us," Rosenworcel said. "And we need it fast, open and fair."

One of the up-and-coming members of Congress scored a major victory. Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Summer Lee won her primary challenge against Bhavini Patel. A member of Congress' progressive 'squad,' Lee will face Republican James Hayes in November's general election.

The Democratic Party has been split over how to deal with the Israel-Hamas war, with more traditional liberals backing the U.S.'s support of Israel while progressive Democrats decry the country's alleged war crimes in Gaza. Lee falls into the latter category, and her primary victory could prove to be a preview of how Democratic voters will handle the issue in November. 

Beginnings 
Lee was born in Pennsylvania in 1987. She graduated from Penn State and Howard University School of Law and worked as a labor organizer after college. A former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Lee campaigned for Bernie Sanders in 2016. 

In 2018, Lee ran as a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She defeated her GOP opponent and served in the state House for three years. In 2021, she announced she was running for the U.S. House. She won the Democratic primary in a close race before defeating her Republican opponent in the 2022 general election, making Lee the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania.

Future
Upon her arrival in Washington, D.C., Lee became a member of the 'squad,' a group of nine progressives in the House that includes Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). They have openly disavowed Israel's actions in Gaza since the Hamas attack.

Lee was "among the first lawmakers to call for a cease-fire," Politico said, and was one of just a few Democrats who recently voted against additional aid for Israel. Lee’s primary opponent, Bhavini Patel, accused her of "ignoring [her] district's Jewish community and undermining President Joe Biden's policy," said CNN. Lee pushed back, denouncing both antisemitism and Islamophobia. She won and appears "poised to cruise to victory come the fall," said Politico. Her primary landslide shows that "opposing genocide is good politics and good policy," said Lee.