Morning Media Summary
Tech:
Google disables Android malware:
“Google is remotely disabling malicious software that deceived more than a quarter of a million owners of Android smartphones, as the outbreak continues to raise questions on the company’s approach to security.”
China pledges to step up administration of Internet:
“China says it will step up administration of the Internet this year while continuing to build out the country’s fiber-optic backbone and expand broadband access for consumers.”
How Facebook plans to bust up the SMS profit cartel:
“Under the cell phone industry’s peculiar pricing system, downloading data to your smartphone is amazingly cheap—unless the data in question happens to be a text message. In that case the price of a download jumps roughly 50,000-fold, from just a few pennies per megabyte of data to a whopping $1000 or so per megabyte.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
US farmers fear the return of the Dust Bowl:
“There is not much to be happy about these days in Happy, Texas. Main Street is shuttered but for the Happy National Bank, slowly but inexorably disappearing into a High Plains wind that turns all to dust. The old Picture House, the cinema, has closed. Tumbleweed rolls into the still corners behind the grain elevators, soaring prairie cathedrals that spoke of prosperity before they were abandoned for lack of business.”
Insurance / Gambling:
DPM says gambling legal, slams PAS:
“PAS has revealed its true colour by imposing a ban on lottery tickets in Kelantan, said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today.”
Health / Safety:
N. Korea asking poor Africa nations for food:
“North Korea is pleading for food aid even from some of the world’s poorest nations such as Zimbabwe, a report has said, amid suspicion the aid may be used to boost the regime’s political standing.”
Economics:
Opec members rush to raise oil output:
“The behind-the-scenes move by Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria reflects growing unease among Opec members over the threat to the global economic recovery from crude’s runaway rise amid the worsening crisis in Libya.”
Legal:
Arkansas students to benefit from tobacco settlement money:
“Hundreds of thousand of tobacco settlement dollars the State of Arkansas received is going right back out. It’s going out to the states’ youngest residents in the form of grant money to promote healthy lifestyles.”
Federal Judge Extends Order Banning Ecuador’s $18 Billion Judgment Against Chevron:
“A federal judge on Monday extended his temporary order banning collection of an $18 billion judgment by the courts in Ecuador against Chevron, saying the oil company could face irreparable harm because it appeared that lawyers for Ecuadoreans who sued over rainforest contamination were going to try to quickly collect the award.”
Labor:
With Obamacare – You Get to Pay For Union Worker’s Health Care When He Retires Early:
“Here’s another little jewel tucked away in Obama’s Un-Affordable Care Act.
More union workers, city workers, county workers, etc. will be able to retire early. This is now possible because YOU will be stuck with paying for their healthcare under the democrat’s new health care law.”
Smithsonian for Wis. Capitol protest signs?:
“The signs, banners and papers taped to the walls of the Wisconsin Capitol these last three weeks to protest a union bill have been removed — but most may be preserved and some may end up at the Smithsonian.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
Depot Owner Steaming Over Eminent Domain:
“Harvey Davis operates his family auto repair shop out of a grand, 1920s-era structure that was once a bustling train depot in Winston-Salem, N.C. He purchased it from the railroad in 1975 and has been there ever since.”
High Speed Rail In Florida Killed By Rick Scott – Private Funding?:
“Whether the High Speed Rail was right or wrong, Rick Scott’s denial of the project is eyeball-deep in fraud and contradictions that would make even Kenneth Lay (RIP) or Jeffery Skilling say “OMG, that’s f___ed up.” Is this the way you want to “win” or “lose” your opinion on this project?”