Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Pew Report Finds Facebook Influences What News Gets Read Online:
“Facebook is influencing what news gets read online as people use the Internet’s most popular hangout to share and recommend content.”

Think file-hosting sites guard your private data? Think again:
“Academic researchers say they’ve uncovered weaknesses in dozens of the most popular file hosting sites that allow people to gain unauthorized access to data that’s supposed to be available only to those selected by the user.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Oil up over $4, weaker dollar helps:
“Oil rebounded by more than $4 on Monday, helped by a weaker dollar as the euro strengthened and bargain hunting by traders and investors after Brent crude lost almost $17 last week.”

Insurance / Gambling:

U.S. Attorney’s Office on Tilt:
“The UIGEA does not declare online poker or even online gambling illegal. Instead, it prohibits financial institutions, such as credit card companies, banks, and other payment providers, from processing unlawful online gambling transactions. Its criminal prohibitions are set out in §5363, titled “Prohibition on Acceptance of Any Financial Instrument for Unlawful Internet Gambling.” It provides, in pertinent part:”

Health / Safety:

Louisiana Oysters: Mississippi River Poses New Threat To Already Struggling Gulf Shellfish:
“Just a year after the BP oil spill crippled Louisiana’s oyster industry, the fishermen face a new problem. Freshwater is set to be diverted from the mighty Mississippi River into the salty waters where the shellfish grow, potentially killing them.”

Economics:

McDonald’s sales figure rises 6 percent in April:
“Strong sales of McDonald’s McCafe drinks and breakfast items in April drove a key revenue measurement up 6 percent worldwide.”

Legal:

Fourth marijuana conviction gets Slidell man life in prison:
“He didn’t fare too well after moving to St. Tammany Parish, however. A single such conviction on the north shore landed the 35-year-old in prison for the rest of his life.”

Labor:

SEIU drops mask, goes full commie:
“A May Day rally in Los Angeles, co-sponsored by the SEIU and various communist groups, as well as other unions, reflected yet another step in the normalization of self-identified communist and socialist ideologies in the Obama era. Not only did the SEIU help to organize the rally in conjunction with communists, they marched side-by-side with communists, while union members carried communist flags, communists carried union signs, and altogether there was no real way to tell the two apart.”

Transportation/ Land Use:

Amtrak, 15 states get $2 billion that Florida lost:
“Amtrak and rail projects in 15 states are being awarded the $2 billion that Florida lost after the governor canceled plans for high-speed train service, the Department of Transportation said Monday.”

Schumer Calls For ‘Do Not Ride’ List For Amtrak:
“Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for better rail security now that the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound has turned up plans to attack trains in the U.S.”

Amtrak Turns 40…Called A ‘Massive Failure’ By Its Founder:
“This week kicks off the 40th Anniversary of the money-sucking, inefficient, outmoded national rail system we call Amtrak.”