HMM: Will the FCC’s Anti-Robocalling Rule Also Ban Burner Phones?

An FCC effort to stop robocalls is raising concerns that it could also ban burner phones and force US consumers to hand over more data to telecommunications companies.

404Media is highlighting the privacy implications of the agency’s new Know Your Customer (KYC) rules for voice providers. In April, the FCC voted to kick off a rulemaking that calls for stricter screening for new and existing customers to help block phone calls from scammers.

The problem is that the FCC’s proposal threatens to outlaw burner phones and other privacy-focused voice services due to a potential requirement to “verify customer identities—including name, address, government ID, and alternative phone numbers—before enabling service,” according to the commission’s press release. “Criminals continue to leverage the anonymity provided by phone calls and texts to defraud Americans and exploit communications networks to further other crimes,” it adds.

Much as I despise robocallers, this “solution” could prove worse.

LIFE IN TWO-TIER KIER’S WORLD:

NICE: ‘Secret Mission’: Trump reveals 100M barrels of oil have cleared Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that more than 100 million barrels of oil had made their way through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a “secret mission” he gave the U.S. military to support oil tankers moving through the waterway.

“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” he posted on Truth Social. “Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait.”

“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.

But maybe the best part of the ongoing not-quite-a-ceasefire is the Gulf states finally getting serious about bypassing the Gulf for their exports.

ANALYSIS: TRUE.

WELL…

I think it’s worth noting that a number of black witnesses for the prosecution delivered testimony that was highly damaging to Anthony’s defense.

IT CERTAINLY SEEMS SO: Protracted Iran-War Parleys: Is It Part of U.S. Strategy? “Is Trump deliberately delaying a deal to bring Iran to an economically and logistically weak state where it has no option but to drop insistence on some of the so-called ‘red lines’? Three of these lines are very obvious; not surrendering the already enriched uranium with the enrichment facilities, control over the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief. At present, only the last two appear to be somewhat negotiable. The first one is considered by the theocracy as contrary to affirmation of its sovereignty and consequently tantamount to the loss of legitimacy of the regime.”

YOU’VE BEEN ROBBED:

The Russian connection is the *chef’s kiss* after years of Russiagate bullshit against Trump.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Jasmine Crockett’s Gaping Maw Is Still Belching Up Filth. “It’s always weird and irritating when Crockett attempts to pretend to be down with the struggle in any way. She was educated at a ‘Country Day’ school and an exclusive all-girls Catholic high school. It wasn’t exactly a mean streets upbringing. She’s also owned a law firm and been a member of Congress. Her rough edges narrative is really weak.”

SALENA ZITO: ‘It’s only a matter of national security.’ America Workforce Academy’s mission to fill the workforce gap.

Some raw facts from the American Builders and Contractors Association are even more chilling: 39% of electricians in this country were 45 years old or older. Another disturbing stat: for every five plumbers leaving the workforce, only two apprentices are entering. As Baby Boomers age out, the industry faces an estimated shortage of up to 550,000 plumbers, according to the Merrow Report.

Same with auto mechanics. Currently, the United States is facing a shortage of 600,000 auto mechanics, according to that same report.

All of these shortages are creating a downward and slippery slope for both consumers and builders alike, including higher costs and growing safety risks. And it creates wait times for services that extend beyond days into weeks, months, and even years for larger projects.

Dina Powell McCormick, president of Meta, said that she first saw the impact of this escalating problem when she joined her husband Sen. David McCormick, a Pittsburgh Republican, when he was running for office in 2022 and 2024.

Just off the top of my head, maybe student loan forgiveness for those willing to learn and pursue a trade.

Also, read the whole thing.

THE PRICE OF HORRIBLE LEADERS:

WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH:

Related: Tolerance was tested both by the “migrants” and various governments, and limits found.

Which is how we got here:

STEVEN CALABRESI: Remembering Gordon Wood. “Gordon Wood was a towering scholar in every way. He was the best historian of the American Revolution and of the writing of the Constitution and, in general, of the period from 1760 to 1826, of all time. No-one else in the 237 years since the Constitution went into effect even comes close.”

Well, don’t undersell Forrest McDonald.