Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Drug companies lose protections on Facebook, some decide to close pages:
“Facebook and the pharmaceutical industry have had an uneasy partnership in recent years. Many drug companies didn’t join the site until Facebook gave them a privilege that others do not have — blocking the public’s ability to openly comment on a page Wall.”

Google to Buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 Billion:
“Google announced on Monday that it would acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings, the cellphone business that was split from Motorola, for $40 a share in cash, or $12.5 billion.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Forest: Damned if they do, damned if they don’t:
“A new study shows that as climate change enhances tree growth in tropical forests, the resulting increase in litterfall could stimulate soil micro-organisms leading to a release of stored soil carbon.”

EPA-Backed Study: Products Containing BPA Harmless:
“The US Environmental Protection Agency officially backed a study last week underscores what scientists around the world have been saying for years: BPA is not a significant public health risk.”

Insurance / Gambling:

Call for Change to US gambling laws:
“Caesars Entertainment, one of the world’s largest casino groups, is stepping up a lobbying campaign aimed at legalising online poker to fix a “bizarre” regulatory framework that allows US-based gamblers to play yet bars US companies from operating the games.”

Health / Safety:

FookPolitik: iPhones and Phonies:
“It’s common knowledge that there are minuscule amounts of mercury in fish. But it’s a fundamental rule of toxicology that the dose makes the poison. After all, drinking too much water can kill you.”

Economics:

4-Italy delivers tough austerity measures:
“Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced a painful mix of tax increases and spending cuts on Friday to meet European Central Bank demands for action on shoring up Italy’s strained public finances.”

Legal:

Prison Legal News sues to get into Michigan Jail:
“A monthly journal about prisons is being locked out of the Livingston County jail.”

Labor:

APNewsBreak: Some Unions to Skip 2012 convention:
“About a dozen trade unions plan to sit out the 2012 Democratic convention because they’re angry that it’s being held in a right-to-work state and frustrated that Democrats haven’t done enough to create jobs.”

Transportation/ Land Use:

Putting brakes on bullet trains:
“CHINA’s Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line was designed for speeds of 350km/h, but after last month’s deadly crash, warnings of a design defect and a train recall, that speed is too fast for passenger Qi Dezhou.”