The Digital Equity Act tried to close the digital divide. Trump calls it racist and acts to end it

One initiative distributes laptops in rural Iowa. Another helped people get back online in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones. And there are efforts in Oregon and rural Alabama teach digital skills to older people, including some who’ve never touched a computer. Those and others are in jeopardy after President Donald Trump said he's cutting a program aimed at filling gaps in the digital divide. The Digital Equity Act was intended to cover unmet needs that surfaced during the country's broadband rollout. Trump has branded the program as racist and illegal, and claims it amounts to “woke handouts based on race.”