Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Anonymous’ Operation : Payback campaign defends Wikileaks, downs MasterCard website:
“Online supporters of whistleblowing website Wikileaks are fighting back after news of Julian Assange’s arrest hit the wires.”

McNealy to Ellison: How to duck death by open source:
“Let’s forget the last few years ever happened — the last five, at least. Possibly 10. In the 1980s Sun Microsystems was on fire.”

Microsoft unveils ‘do not track’ option for IE9:
“Microsoft says it will offer a privacy setting in the next version of Internet Explorer that will make it easy for users to keep their browsing habits from being tracked by advertising networks and other third-party websites.”

Meet the FCC commissioner who wants to control the news:
“Copps has a long history of advocating for government control of media, dating to the beginning of his tenure. But it wasn’t until last week, after Copps spoke to the BBC and an audience at Columbia University, that Congress decided to look into the commissioner’s philosophy against private media companies.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Memo to Turner:
“Almost everyone except for the most radical elements of the Professional Left question the timing of Obama, Pelosi and Reid jamming ObamaCare down our throats in the middle of a horrendous recession. But as is his wont, Ted Turner puts a crazy new spin on their efforts:”

Insurance / Gambling:

Inland tribes back online gambling:
“Two Inland Southern California tribes with large casinos are pushing legislation to legalize Internet poker in the state, the opening bid in what could be an intense Capitol fight involving tribes who oppose the idea.”

Health / Safety:

Children’s Hospitals Lose Some Drug Discounts:
“In an unintended consequence of the new health care law, drug companies have begun notifying children’s hospitals around the country that they no longer qualify for large discounts on drugs used to treat rare medical conditions.”

More Health Waivers:
“The Obama Administration has quietly granted even more waivers to one provision of the new federal health reform law, doubling the number in just the last three weeks to a new total of 222.”

Economics:

Obama facing tough sell in own party on tax deal:
“President Barack Obama still has work to do to sell fellow Democrats on the tax package he negotiated with Republicans.”

Suburban Chicago school district eliminates class rankings:
“West suburban Indian Prairie District 204 has become the latest in the Chicago area to eliminate high school class ranks.”

Down From the Pedestal:
“In the global race for jobs and economic prosperity, the United States is No. 2. And it is likely to remain there for some time. That’s the glum conclusion of most Americans surveyed in the latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll. Henry Luce famously labeled the 20th century the “American Century.” This survey suggests that most Americans now doubt that this new century will bear that name.”

Legal:

WikiLeaks founder is jailed, secrets still flow:
“WikiLeaks published a new set of cables Wednesday, and in a defiant message posted online the secret-spilling website promised that the leaks would keep on flowing despite the arrest and jailing of its founder on sex allegations.”

The War on Cameras:
“Michael Allison, a 41-year-old backyard mechanic from southeastern Illinois, faces up to 75 years in prison for an act most people don’t realize is a crime: recording public officials. ”

Labor:

Walker looks at showdown with state employee unions:

“Governor-elect Scott Walker raised the possibility of essentially abolishing state employee unions on Tuesday as one option to control rising employee benefits costs and eliminate the state’s budget deficit.”

Racial Profiling of Taxi Passengers:
“Fernando Mateo, president of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, is telling cab drivers that for their own protection they should profile potential passengers who are black and Latino.”

Ex-L.A. labor leader Alejandro Stephens headed to prison:
“For 15 years, Alejandro Stephens cut an imposing figure as a pugnacious Los Angeles union leader at the crossroads of labor and politics. Today he’s headed to prison.”

SEIU Paints A Bull’s Eye On Fast Food Industry:

“It’s common for fast food workers in Canada, Germany, France and Australia to be represented by a union, but in America less than 2% of fast food workers are unionized – and most of them work in stores located on college campuses, in hospitals or in government buildings where labor unions are commonplace.”

Transportation/ Land Use:

Citizens offer opinions on high-speed rail:
“Hundreds of Madison residents packed into a jammed conference room on Madison’s east side Tuesday to voice their concerns and ideas about high-speed rail systems in Wisconsin.”