Morning Media Summary
Tech:
Herb Kohl vows Google probe:
“Media consolidation, net neutrality and Google’s dominance in Internet search are among the issues the Senate’s leading legislator on antitrust issues plans to scrutinize in the months ahead.”
Darrell Issa: White House Influencing net neutrality:
“In a November 2009 letter to Genachowski, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said media reports suggest “that Obama administration officials had knowledge of and potentially contributed to [the] crafting of” the controversial net neutrality rules.”
Illinois Governor Signs Amazon Internet Sales Tax Law:
“After two-months of fence-sitting, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today signed controversial legislation requiring Internet retailers like Amazon.com and Overstock.com to collect Illinois’ 6.25% sales tax if they have affiliate sellers in the state. House Bill 3659, the Mainstreet Fairness Bill, was passed by the state’s lame duck legislature in early January. Since then, the bill has been the subject of fierce lobbying by traditional bricks and mortar retailers, who supported it, and Illinois-based Internet-only businesses, who warned that if Quinn didn’t veto it some of them would flee the state. Had Quinn done nothing, the bill would have become law tomorrow without his signature.”
Amazon Takes Action in Illinois as War on Sales Taxes Continues:
“Amazon.com Inc.’s battle with state governments over sales taxes is escalating.”
AG speech transcript creating cyberwarfare unit:
“We live in a modern world. As we increasingly do business online, cyber security continues to be at the forefront of the Government’s agenda.”
First look at Google Chrome 10:
“Google has released the stable version of Chrome 10 and users are now being automatically updated. As always, Chrome’s new features focus on security, speed and simplicity, with greater JavaScript performance, sandboxing technology for Adobe Flash, password encryption and an easier-to-use settings interface. Here’s a look at the new features.”
Global Warming / Environment / Energy:
Live Stream 8.9 Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Japan:
House panel votes to bar EPA tailpipe emission regulations:
“A House panel approved a bill to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating tailpipe emissions — but the measure’s future is uncertain.”
60 killed in major tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake:
“A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan’s eastern coast Friday, killing at least 60 people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.”
Insurance / Gambling:
Online gambling soars to $1 billion:
“Online gambling has reached epidemic proportions in Australia, with punters spending more than $1 billion on internet betting every year.”
Health / Safety:
These GOP Budget Cuts Might Make You Puke (or Worse):
“Would you like some salmonella with those budget cuts? If Republicans have their way, food safety could fall casualty to the congressional budget-cutting fervor. Buried in the House GOP’s budget bill, which passed last month and would axe $61 billion in spending, are major funding reductions for agricultural inspections. And consumer advocates warn that these cuts could escalate outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.”
Economics:
Geithner says lending cuts hurt U.S. influence:
“”We live in a dangerous world, the world isn’t standing still,” he told a House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee where he sought backing for a $1.24 billion budget increase to $3.36 billion for international programs that Treasury oversees.”
Rand Paul’s party of one:
“Sen. Rand Paul is the only member of Congress who has entertained not just one, but every single one of the following ideas: Requiring a $2,000 deductible for Medicare plans, raising the age at which Americans can receive Social Security, drastically cutting military spending, eliminating foreign aid to Israel and the rest of the Middle East, and weaning poor Americans off “intergenerational welfare,” more commonly known as Medicaid.”
Legal:
White House seeks child-speech oversight:
“Roughly 150 various advocates — lobbyists for gays and lesbians, legislators, White House officials, at least one cabinet secretary and the first lady — gathered around President’s Obama’s bully pulpit in the White House Thursday to cheer for increased government monitoring and intervention in Facebook conversations, in playgrounds and in schoolrooms around the country.”
Watchdog: TSA ‘cooked’ data on airport security:
“The Transportation Security Administration “cooked the books” to understate the costs of using federal workers rather than private contractors to screen airport passengers, a key TSA critic in Congress charged Wednesday.”
Labor:
Wisconsin Assembly OKs Revised Budget Bill:
“The Wisconsin state Assembly voted Thursday to pass a revised version of Gov. Scott Walker’s “budget repair bill” that strips public employees’ unions of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.”
Transportation/ Land Use:
Bill ending mining eminent domain clears Senate:
“The Nevada Senate passed a bill nearly unanimously Thursday that ends the authority of the state’s mining and defunct sugar beet industries to invoke eminent domain to take private land for their own use.”
To Promote High-Speed Rail, Mad Men Cast Does What It Knows Best: Pitching:
“In a video from Funny or Die, Vincent Kartheiser and Rich Sommer reprise their roles as Pete Campbell and Harry Crane, bouncing back ideas on how to sell Obama’s hotly-debated issue on high-speed rail. I mean, Harry did say parking was murder.”