Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Copyright term extension will be voted this week:
“Monday or Tuesday this upcoming week there will be another round in the fight against prolonging the copyright protection term for recorded music in the EU. Now is an opportunity to contact MEPs, Members of the European Parliament, and persuade them to vote against the term extension.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Drivers Start to Cut Back on Gas as Prices Rise:
“With the price of gas above $3.50 a gallon in all but one state, there are signs that Americans are cutting back on driving, reversing a steady increase in demand for fuel as the economy improves.”

New 7.1 quake hits Japan as evacuation zone widens:
“Japan on Monday widened the evacuation zone around a stricken nuclear plant exactly a month on from a huge natural disaster as another 7.1 magnitude quake and tsunami alert strained nerves anew.”

Insurance / Gambling:

Report: Bushnell woman stole from in-laws to support multimillion-dollar gambling habit:
“A Sumter County woman has been arrested and accused of stealing more than $500,000 from her in-laws to support a gambling habit that saw her spend more than $14 million at a Tampa casino over two years.”

Gambling law review to check money laundering:
“The government has formed a team to look into laws governing gambling with the aim of rewriting them to stem money laundering and other illegal activities.”

Health / Safety:

Tanning Bed Ban Considered For Teenagers (Video, POLL):
“Taking a cue from British legislators, 12 states in the U.S. have bills pending that propose age restrictions for using commercial tanning salons, ABC News reports. Among them: California, Illinois and New York. In fact, Texas, always on the cutting edge, banned sun beds for anyone under 16-and-a-half years old.”

Economics:

Larry Kudlow declares late-night budget deal a big change in direction of U.S. economic policy:
“Though it has been a mixed-bag of reaction over the $38.5-billion deal on the spending bill reached late Friday evening, CNBC host Larry Kudlow saw it as a significant change in course of U.S. economic policy.”

Budget Debate: Obama To Lay Out Spending Plan:

“President Barack Obama and Congress are shifting from short-term budget concerns to debates over the nation’s long-term economic future, and everything – from Medicare and Medicaid cuts to tax hikes for the wealthy – is on the table.”

Legal:


Sandra Day O’Connor Faulted By Critics on Ethics:

“Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor continues to hear cases in U.S. appeals courts, while also playing a role in public policy issues. Her critics say she should do one or the other, but not both.”

Labor:

SEIU Demonstrates Its Lack of Civility With ‘Civil Disobedience’:
“You’ve certainly seen enough video footage of the unruly union mobs in Madison, WI for the last two months. Well, the SEIU has taken its mob show on the road and, like the pioneers of old, headed West.”

Transportation/ Land Use:

Texas considers highest speed limit in nation:
“As lead singer of Van Halen, Sammy Hagar once crooned, “I can’t drive 55.” To show how far things have come, now some Texans aren’t happy about only driving 80 miles per hour. The Legislature is considering raising the maximum speed limit to 85 mph, highest in the country.”