180: Bad News Everyone!

Supercharged

Tommy and Adam discuss the unfortunate news out of the FCC: the very likely—but hopefully temporary—end of net neutrality in the US.

Links for this episode:

• F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
  New York Times: "The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to dismantle rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet, granting broadband companies the power to potentially reshape Americans’ online experiences."
• Watch the asshole who killed net neutrality laugh off all the reasons it’s so vital
  AV Club: "Look, we all know Ajit Pai—FCC chairperson, former Verizon attorney, amateur film star, and Parks And Recreation superfan—is a total stooge. After all, he just led the FCC in a charge to lift net neutrality regulations that were in place to keep corporations from making their already crappy internet services even worse. But in case you needed any more evidence of just how big a stooge—a total dickhead, even—he is, we humbly present this disgusting little exchange between Pai and his fellow FCC commissioner, Mignon Clyburn, after she finished delivering a rousing 20-minute defense of net neutrality."
• The FCC's Ajit Pai now openly mocking net neutrality protesters with his dumb new video
  I've included this video because Tommy insists on torturing us all. :-P AV Club: "We’re getting closer and closer to a crisis point on net neutrality, as current FCC chairman Ajit Pai wages a minor internet culture war to convince people to support his plans for a “free internet”—i.e., one where Obama-era protections don’t exist to stop service providers from charging different amounts of money to stream different kinds of content. Having already tussled with Ron Swanson, Pai has now resorted to a time-honored internet tradition: openly mocking his critics, via a video he recently uploaded at conservative site The Daily Caller, in which he pantomimes 'all the things' we’ll still be able to do after he guts these regulations for sport."
• Ron Swanson has a bone to pick with FCC chairman (and Parks And Rec fan) Ajit Pai
  AV Club: "Ajit Pai, the current chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is a lot more than just a corporate stooge and detestable harbinger of internet deregulation. He’s also a big Parks And Recreation fan. He’s invoked the NBC sitcom in at least one official statement and even has a framed copy of Ron Swanson’s inspirational Pyramid Of Greatness hanging outside his office, according to an interview published in Radio World. But as Pai’s attempt to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality laws that keep all internet traffic free and equal approaches, it appears word of his fandom has gotten back to Parks And Rec star Nick Offerman. He took it upon himself to get a reaction from the Pyramid’s creator, which he promptly directed to Pai on Twitter."

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors this week, Storyblocks and Sky Tripping!