Morning Media Summary
Tech:
Person Tweeting Death Wish for Palin Now Wants Privacy:
“Now YouTube is threatening to pull the video because one of the people who sent a tweet has complained that the video violates her privacy.”
In HTML5 war, Microsoft guy slams “President of the United States of Google”:
“Microsoft and Google are fighting yet another public relations battle, this time over the HTML5 video standards to be used in the next generation of Web browsers.”
RapidShare Threatens to Sue Over Privacy Allegations:
“RapidShare, named as a contributor to digital piracy by a MarkMonitor report, has threatened to sue for defamation.”
Spectrum analyzer catches exam cheats in Taiwan:
“Police in Taiwan used a set of spectrum analyzers to catch at least three people suspected of cheating on an exam by monitoring them for mobile phone signals, a first case of its type, the equipment maker said on Wednesday.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
Queensland floods: but at least the ‘endangered’ Mary River cod is safe, eh?:
“This is a guest post from one of our regular commenters, Memory Vault. He’s understandably upset about the Australian floods, which may have claimed more than 70 lives. But what really upsets him is that this disaster could have been prevented. He blames green campaigners so wedded to their ideology they never stop to consider the human consequences. It is to them his bitter letter is addressed.”
Insurance / Gambling:
New Jersey Launches Online Gambling Website:
“I read an intriguing story last month about Toby Ord, a lecturer at Oxford University, who has pledged to donate £1,000,000 to charitable causes over his lifetime. Dr Ord is no millionaire – he currently earns £25,300 per year. He and his wife have pledged to give annually 10% of their income to charitable causes, and they’ve convinced others to do the same through his internet-based organization, Giving What We Can.”
New Jersey Online Gambling Moves Forward:
“The story that has been dominating the news for a long time now is the debate on online gambling in the USA. New Jersey legislators have passed a law that effectively makes internet gambling legal in their state opening the issue to even further speculation. The bill was championed and originated by New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak.”
Health / Safety:
Attorney General DeWine Authorities Action to Challenge Constitutionality of Health Care Law:
“Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that he has officially authorized action seeking to add Ohio to the growing roster of states challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted healthcare law.”
Economics:
The secret to a libertarian state:
“Brown, a 72-year-old Democrat who last week began his third term as governor 28 years after wrapping up his second term, faces a tough campaign to win approval of his budget plan from the Golden State’s fractious legislature.”
S&P, Moody’s Warn On U.S. Credit Rating:
“Two leading credit rating agencies on Thursday cautioned the U.S. on its credit rating, expressing concern over a deteriorating fiscal situation that they say needs correction.”
Legal:
Character & Fitness Fail for Graduate With ‘No Plan’ To Pay Off His Debts:
“Wow. Guy goes to law school, guy racks up a huge amount of debt, guy has no idea how he’ll pay off his debts. Sound familiar? Okay, here’s the twist: the guy failed the “character and fitness” component of the Ohio bar because he has no plan to pay off his loans.”
Obama speech undercuts federal charge for judge’s murder:
“It may have been inadvertent, but a passage in President Barack Obama’s speech to a memorial service it Tucson Wednesday night could undercut a criminal charge federal prosecutors have leveled at suspect Jared Loughner for the death of U.S. District Court Judge John Roll in a shooting rampage Saturday.”
Finally: Dupnik release police reports on Loughner, family:
“There were no missed red flags as far as I can tell. The Arizona Republic has brief summaries of 12 reports, the most damning of which involve him being drunk at school and being caught with pot paraphernalia while driving with his friend. See the Smoking Gun for more details. In fact, until the morning of the shooting, when he was stopped for running a red light but behaved unsuspiciously with the officer, Loughner had no run-ins with county police since 2008 — which at first blush seems surprising but makes sense in light of what his friends have said about him becoming more withdrawn as his illness progressed. It may be that, aside from going to class at community college, he spent much of his time over the past few years in his room, online, hallucinating.”
Appeals court uploads Missouri’s use of tobacco settlement money:
“A Missouri appellate court upheld a ruling exempting the state from a 2003 act directing it to contribute 25 percent of the money from the 1998 tobacco settlement to life sciences starting in 2007.”
Labor:
Cameron threat to toughen up laws on strike ballots:
“David Cameron is threatening to tear up strike laws to prevent militant trade unions holding Britain to ransom.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
High-Speed Rail Called Key to Long-Term Growth:
“Already home to the nation’s only high-speed rail line, Amtrak’s Acela, the Northeast “megaregion” ranks high in parameters for determining where future HSR investment should be focused. So says a new report from the America 2050 initiative, headquartered here.”