Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Study: Fair use drives large part of US economy:
“Industries that rely on fair use exceptions to U.S. copyright law have weathered the recent slow economy better than other businesses, according to a new study released by a tech trade group.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Drought Spreads Pain From Florida to Arizona:
“The heat and the drought are so bad in this southwest corner of Georgia that hogs can barely eat. Corn, a lucrative crop with a notorious thirst, is burning up in fields. Cotton plants are too weak to punch through soil so dry it might as well be pavement.”

Insurance / Gambling:

Online Gambling Laws being Reviewed by Lawmakers in Australia:
“The present government in Australia is currently watching as the United States Department of Justice has been going after a number of online casino websites using numerous indictments. These indictments have recently ended the run of Full Tilt Poker, as well severely hurt other online gambling websites, like Absolute Poker and PokerStars.”

Health / Safety:

Nanny State madness of the day:
“Europe, but I certainly didn’t miss this kind of Nanny State nuttiness now manifesting itself in Colorado.”

Economics:

Obama: Time to “eat our peas” and pass debt deal:
“President Obama is still seeking the largest deficit reduction deal possible as part of a package deal to raise the debt ceiling, he said in a press conference today.”

Legal:

Allen West: We need a special prosecutor to investigate Holder’s role in Operation Fast and Furious:
“Via our Townhall cousin Katie Pavlich, who makes an important distinction that’s occasionally been overlooked in all the Gunrunner/Fast and Furious coverage. Namely, they’re not the same program. Gunrunner is the ATF’s umbrella operation for selling guns to straw purchasers and then immediately busting them; F&F is the op that let those purchasers walk them across the border, where they ended up in the possession of cartels. It is true that Holder acknowledged the existence of Gunrunner in a 2009 speech in Mexico, but as Mike Riggs of Reason points out, there’s no evidence — yet — that Holder authorized or even knew about Fast and Furious. To the contrary:”

Labor:

NLRB breaks Obama’s rule on ‘quickie’ union elections, Senate Republican says:
“Senate Republicans ripped into the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for ignoring a new executive order from President Barack Obama regarding “quickie” union elections.”

Transportation/ Land Use:

MPs told high speed rail may widen north-south divide:
“But a report going before MPs is about to cast serious doubt on whether high speed rail is really going to reduce the imbalance between different parts of the country.”