Overnight Tech: Trump, Intel tout $7B investment | GOP chairwoman wants FCC to take first swing at net neutrality | AT&T beefs up its lobbying

$7 BILLION TECH INVESTMENT: Intel Corp. announced a $7 billion investment Wednesday that the company projects will create 10,000 new jobs.

The company will use the $7 billion to complete its Fab 42 factory in Chandler, Ariz., Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said at a meeting at the White House with President Trump.

Krzanich said the decision to make the announcement with the White House was borne out of Intel’s support for Trump’s economic and trade policies.

“We support the Administration’s policies to level the global playing field and make U.S. manufacturing competitive worldwide through new regulatory standards and investment policies,” Krzanich wrote in an email to Intel employees.

{mosads}”When we disagree, we don’t walk away,” he continued. “We believe that we must be part of the conversation to voice our views on key issues such as immigration, H1B visas and other policies that are essential to innovation.”

Trump tweeted about the meeting on Wednesday afternoon, calling it a “great investment” in “American INNOVATION and JOBS!”

Intel started construction of the Fab 42 plant in 2011, but shelved the project in 2014 amid slowing computer sales.

Read more here.

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GOP CHAIR WANTS FCC TO LEAD CHARGE ON NET NEUTRALITY: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the chairwoman of the House Commerce panel on technology, said today that Congress is going to let the FCC take the first crack at rolling back net neutrality.

“Let’s let the FCC go in and do what they are able to do — make the first move on that and then we’ll be able to revisit that situation,” she told reporters when asked about Congressional Republicans’ plans to tackle net neutrality. “But I think we allow them to take those first steps.”

ANOTHER FCC REFORM: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced another reform measure on Wednesday, one that will require a full vote of the commission to approve consent decrees. Previously, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau would generally sign off on such agreements at the direction of the chairman.

“That abuse of process ends now,” Pai said in a statement. “I have instructed the Enforcement Bureau that starting today, any consent decree settling a Notice of Apparent Liability or Forfeiture Order issued by the full Commission must now be approved by a vote of the full Commission.”

AT&T BEEFS UP LOBBYING FOR TIME WARNER DEAL: AT&T has been increasing its presence in Washington as it tries to get its $85 billion merger with Time Warner cleared. Bloomberg explores how the company is increasing its lobbying presence and throwing lavish parties for those in the Beltway. The Hill previously reported on the confusing dynamics over Trump’s position on corporate mergers… and AT&T’s lobbying push. Both of which will play a big role in the forthcoming decision regarding the merger. Our colleague Megan Wilson found that AT&T was one the top 10 biggest spenders on lobbying in 2016.

FAKE NEWS’S EUROPEAN VACATION: The President Of Italy’s Chamber Of Deputies Laura Boldrini hammered fake news, telling BuzzFeed that hoax stories risk “short-circuiting democracies.” Bordini is launching an initiative to combat fake news and its harms in Italy. The Italian politician stressed that her motivations weren’t political, but that she wanted to protect democracies from the potential harms posed by misinformation from fake news.

“Being informed is a right, while being misinformed is dangerous,” Bordini said. “It is an issue that concerns every citizen and touches upon a fundamental democratic principle: the right to correct information.”

ON TAP:

New America holds an event on expanding internet access at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration hosts a webinar on its BroadbandUSA program at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out The Hill’s list of 16 people to watch in tech.

Rural Republicans are questioning using private financing — a tool championed by other Republicans — for infrastructure projects.

Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), the top Dem on the Senate Commerce Committee, had strong words for the FCC’s chairman in a letter.

The FBI’s general counsel said he doesn’t expect any sudden changes on encryption policy changes under the Trump administration.

Facebook introduced new features to combat discrimination on its advertising service.

Donald Trump met with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and Mike Pence spoke with Elon Musk today.

Microsoft is offering patent troll defense to attract users to its cloud computing service, reports Reuters.

A deregulation advocate was tapped to be the acting head of the FTC’s consumer protection bureau.