Morning Media Summary
Tech:
DOJ seeks mandatory data retention requirement for ISPs:
“The U.S. Department of Justice and an organization representing police chiefs from around the country renewed calls on Tuesday for legislation mandating Internet Service Providers (ISP) to retain certain customer usage data for up to two years.”
Could Amazon’s bulk-email service spawn spam and malware?:
“Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been a boon for developers and organizations that need large-scale code-crunching power but can’t or won’t shell out for the server racks. Unfortunately, those cheap, on-tap computing capabilities are an irresistible temptation to bad guys who can, for example, use EC2 to smash passwords in mere minutes for a handful of change.”
PayPal most phished, Facebook most blocked:
“OpenDNS released statistics about which websites were commonly blocked — and which websites users were frequently given access to — in 2010. The report additionally details the companies online scammers targeted in 2010, as well as where the majority of phishing websites were hosted.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
Federal Agency Headquarters Leave Lights On In DC:
“Night after night, year after year, this nightside reporter observed lights left on in federal government buildings. So I decided to see just how much taxpayers were spending to keep empty buildings illuminated.”
State tests dimmer highway lighting:
“If you drive regularly along Route 100 in Howard County, you might notice the lighting is a little dimmer than it used to be.”
Insurance / Gambling:
Kitchen table power is now legal:
“A poker game may be friendly in South Carolina — but it’s still illegal.”
Health / Safety:
Investing Obamacare Waiver-mania:
“The House GOP is stepping up to the plate. Newcomers on the congressional oversight subcommittee on health will probe the who, what, when, where, and why of the Obama administration’s HHS Obamacare waiver program.”
Economics:
Obama’s Sputter-nik moment: Cash for Education Clunkers:
“My column today contrasts President Obama’s State of the Union hype about “innovation” and “investment” in education with the abysmal failures of massive federal spending on America’s schools. The White House love to talk about global “competitiveness,” but refuse to support competition in our government-run K-12 schools monopoly. “Sputnik moment” — or Sputter-nik moment?”
For more on this issue: Time for Big Cuts in Education Spending?
Price Drop Points to Likely Double Dip in Housing Market:
“U.S. single-family home prices fell for a fifth straight month in November and could plumb new lows soon, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday.”
Legal:
DOJ seeks mandatory data retention requirement for ISPs:
“The U.S. Department of Justice and an organization representing police chiefs from around the country renewed calls on Tuesday for legislation mandating Internet Service Providers (ISP) to retain certain customer usage data for up to two years.”
Labor:
Federal Agency Headquarters Leave Lights On In DC:
“Night after night, year after year, this nightside reporter observed lights left on in federal government buildings. So I decided to see just how much taxpayers were spending to keep empty buildings illuminated.”
Berresford ‘Berry’ Bingham, political director of the SEIU Local 1021, found slain in his home:
“Berresford “Berry” Bingham, the political director of SEIU Local 1021, was found dead in his West Oakland home and investigators are treating the death as a homicide, police said.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
State tests dimmer highway lighting:
“If you drive regularly along Route 100 in Howard County, you might notice the lighting is a little dimmer than it used to be.”
‘New’ energy, high-speed rail stars of speech:
“President Obama’s recipe for economic recovery and re-emergent innovation, as laid out in Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address, may leave many Americans unmoved. One thing, however, is clear.”