Morning Media Summary
Tech:
Google Parcel Service? Search company patents electronic shipping notifications:
“Google’s battle against Microsoft and Apple over their use of “bogus” patents promises to result in greater scrutiny of its own intellectual property holdings. And we have a hunch that Amazon.com, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and pretty much everyone else in the shipping business will be highly interested in this new addition to Google’s portfolio.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
100-Degree Streak Ends – Temps Drop Into 80s:
“The Dallas-Fort Worth area’s streak of 100-degree days is over — just two shy of the record set in 1980.”
Insurance / Gambling:
NY Governor: State Must ‘Come to Grips’ with Gambling:
“The Oneida Indian Nation says the state has two options for expanding gaming: It can partner with Indian nations for immediate success or spend years trying to pass a law to allow commercial gaming.”
Health / Safety:
Postal Service proposes cutting 120,000 jobs, pulling out of health-care plan:
“The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service is proposing to cut its workforce by 20 percent and to withdraw from the federal health and retirement plans because it believes it could provide benefits at a lower cost.”
Economics:
Europe firms but growth worries linger:
“European bourses are rallying following Wall Street’s powerful surge on Thursday. But lingering concerns about global growth and wariness over recent intense volatility are keeping traders twitchy.”
Legal:
Verizon gets picket injunctions in 3 states, seeks more:
“Verizon Communications (VZ.N) won court injunctions in three states to prevent strikers from blocking facilities and it was seeking similar legal protection in two more states on the fifth day of a strike involving almost half the workers in its wireline business.”
Labor:
Benefits backers denied NJ union endorsement:
“The AFL-CIO took revenge on New Jersey legislators who supported a pension and health benefits overhaul by voting Thursday not to endorse any lawmaker who supported the deal, including fellow union members and the Legislature’s most powerful Democrat.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
China recalls bullet trains, slows down high-speed rail:
“China’s second-largest train manufacturer will recall 54 bullet trains running on the new Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway after a series of malfunctions, a company official said Friday.”