Morning Media Summary
Tech:
Facebook posts mined for court case evidence:
“It’s the latest litigation tactic in the online age: U.S. lawyers are trying to mine the private zones of Facebook and other social-media sites for photos, comments, status updates and other tidbits that might contradict what their opponents are saying in court.”
Netflix Performance on Top ISP Networks:
“As we continue to stream more and more great movies and TV shows, we find ourselves in the unique position of having insight into the performance of hundreds of millions of long duration, high-definition video streams delivered over the Internet.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
Exxon: Global gasoline demand to fall over 20 yrs:
“There will be 400 million more cars on the world’s roads 20 years from now, yet gasoline consumption will decline, according to a projection from Exxon Mobil Corp. in its long-term energy outlook released Thursday.”
Insurance / Gambling:
State to consider legal online poker:
“While some Florida legislators talk of setting up Las Vegas-style casinos in a few years, others suggest there’s a way to immediately raise gambling revenues with a click of a mouse.”
Health / Safety:
Congress Will Probe Special Exemptions to Health-Care Law That Obama Administration Gave Select Unions and Businesses, Says Republican Senator:
“The Obama administration’s waivers to temporarily exempt certain companies, unions, and charities from rules established by the new health care law are a “perfect example of special interests” having influence in the administration and will be looked into by Congress, Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee told CNSNews.com.”
Economics:
First Lady Asks Businesses to Allow Employees to Spend Part of Work Week Mentoring Youth:
“First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday said she was “thrilled” to announce a new program that asks U.S. businesses to allow employees to spend part of the work day volunteering with young people. The program will be run by the federal agency tasked with overseeing volunteerism in the United States. ”
Spain’s jobless rate surges to 20.33%:
“Spain announced Friday its jobless rate surged to a 13-year record above 20 percent at the end of 2010, the highest level in the industrialized world, as the economy struggled for air.”
U.S. Economy Grew at 3.2% Rate in the 4th Quarter:
“The United States economy sped up its growth rate in the fourth quarter, though slightly less than expected, chiefly on the backs of revitalized consumers and a narrowed trade deficit.”
Legal:
It’s still January but state governments are on a roll proposing silly legislation:
“It’s not yet even February, but lawmakers are already dumping an armload of bad ideas onto their respective state governments. The sheer ridiculousness of a few proposed laws has resulted in some legislators quickly abandoning their efforts with a shrug and an excuse. “Haha! J-K. I didn’t really think it would actually GO anywhere.””
New Black Panther Party case: The facts are in:
“The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights came out in December with a draft of its interim report on the New Black Panthers Party scandal. Earlier today a final report was posted on the commission’s website, and with it, a flurry of rebuttals and separate statements from a number of the commissioners. The import of these statements should not be minimized.”
Unanimous: Illinois Supreme Court rules Rahm is eligible for mayor:
“A very sharp Chicago-lawyer pal read this post the other day and tut-tutted me by claiming it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that the Illinois Supremes would rule the other way.”
Labor:
Rep. Gingrey leads fight against federal employees using ‘official time’ for union activity:
“Rep. Phil Gingrey, Georgia Republican, is spearheading legislation that would stop federal employees from doing union activities while on the clock. Gingrey’s bill, the Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2011, would stop federal employees from doing arbitration, collective bargaining and compiling lists of grievances for their bosses during working hours.”
NUHW struggles one against rival SEIU:
“It’s a different chapter in the bare-knuckled two-year labor war between SEIU and its breakaway rival, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, but the story is the same.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
Panel clears members of high-speed rail board after investigation into overseas trips:
“The state Fair Political Practices Commission has cleared members of the California High-Speed Rail Authority board after an investigation into a series of overseas trips and whether they were properly disclosed to the public.”