News and reports from the Department of Commerce.

While some digital asset analysts have voiced concerns that the actions the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken against stablecoins could push innovation out of the U.S. into other countries, two economists told the Federal Newswire that they don't share those concerns. Steve H. Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, and Matt Sekerke, a fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health and the Study of Business Enterprise, said they believe stablecoin issuers will not leave the U.S. because they benefit from access to the U.S. dollar and financial institutions.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is making it easier for budding inventors with the debut of its Council for Inclusive Innovation First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has kicked off a request for comment on identifying airwaves for innovative and intensive uses.

Some experts have expressed concern that U.S. actions targeting stablecoins could threaten the U.S. dollar's (USD) global prominence, but Benn Steil, a senior fellow and the director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Federal Newswire that he believes the USD will not be weakened by stablecoins pegged to other currencies.

U.S. Department of Commerce announced the National Institute of Standards and Technology will restart its research reactor.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has congratulated Boeing and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's agreement to purchase Boeing aircraft, calling it 'one of the largest commercial agreements in the history of the U.S.-Saudi partnership.'

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo said the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is building a more equitable and resilient economy for all Americans.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has stepped up its enforcement actions in the cryptocurrency industry after the November bankruptcy filing of crypto exchange FTX and has recently begun targeting stablecoins, sparking concerns that the industry could shift away from the U.S. dollar and peg itself to a different country's currency.

The Department of Commerce announced Katie Westfall has been appointed as a senior advisor at NOAA Fisheries to focus on offshore wind, improving permitting efficiency and enhancing external coordination.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the United States and India reached a memorandum of understanding on semiconductor supply chains and innovation partnerships in a public statement March 10 after meeting with India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

The Biden-Harris Administration has submitted the President’s Budget for the fiscal year 2024 to Congress with $12.3 billion in discretionary funding and $4 billion in mandatory funding for the Department of Commerce, according to a press release issued March 9.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration awarded a $2 million grant to Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to support the development of the Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering Technology and Apprenticeship (AMETA) Center.

When Washington state issued an early stay-at-home order after reporting the first U.S. COVID-19 death Feb. 20, 2020, economic development organization OneRedmond developed OneEastside SPARK, which became a central resource and planning hub for the area’s business community.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves emphasized the importance of cybersecurity in the modern age as he delivered remarks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence on March 7.

News Release: Dear Mr. Chairman: Yesterday, you went on national television and made extremely serious allegations against U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, essentially accusing them of lying to the American people about the Healthcare.gov website. You then used these...