Welcome to Axis ProRod, where we take just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

I'm Dan Permac. On today's show, America now has fewer wireless carriers, and Ohio University gives us a reason to stand up and cheer.

But first, wartime powers. Each day now, President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force hold an afternoon press conference.

And almost every day, there is a question about the Defense Production Act, in reference to much-needed

medical supplies like surgical masks and ventilators.

So what is the DPA?

In short, it is a Korean War-era law that lets the federal government make major incursions into

private industry. For example,

it can require a company to prioritize a government order over that of other customers. It can also

issue loans to expand a manufacturer's capacity and oversee distribution of selected products.

President Trump last week did begin implementing parts of DPA, such as requiring general

motors to make ventilators, but overall, he has shied away from the fuller implementation

that many, including governors like New York's Andrew Cuomo, have asked for.

Trump's official explanation is essentially that he is a capitalist and has no interest

in quote unquote nationalizing American industry, going so far as to suggest that fully using the

DPA would turn the U.S. into Venezuela. But it is a strange argument, given that the administration

regularly used DPA prior to coronavirus. That's based on a new report from the New York Times,

which found that Trump's Department of Defense, FEMA, and other organizations have used DPA

to place hundreds of thousands of orders,

procuring vital equipment from ammunition

to rare earth metals that can be used to make things

like jet engines and lasers.

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