Morning Media Summary

Tech:

Amazon Pressured on Sales Tax:
“Across the country, state officials struggling with big budget shortfalls are trying to get Amazon.com to take on a role it does not want: tax collector.”

Survey: 41% of Facebook Users Total Idiots:
“In an experiment, 41% of Facebook users were willing to divulge highly personal information to a complete stranger. This according to IT security firm Sophos, which invited 200 randomly selected Facebookers to befriend a bogus Facebook user named “Freddi Staur” (an anagram of “ID Fraudster”). Of those queried, 87 responded to the invitation, among them 82 people whose profiles included personal information such as their email address, date of birth, address or phone number. In total:”

Twitter libel: Caerphilly councilor pays rival 3,000 pounds:
“Caerphilly county councillor Colin Elsbury had claimed that Eddie Talbot had been removed from a polling station by police during a by-election in 2009.”

Global Warming / Environment / Energy:

Second Explosion at Reactor as Technicians Try to Contain Damage:
“A second explosion rocked a troubled nuclear power plant Monday, blowing the roof off a containment building but not harming the reactor inside, while cooling systems failed at a third reactor, Japanese officials said.”

Laser scribing promises cheaper, more efficient solar panels:
“A new manufacturing method that incorporates laser technology may result in thin film solar panels that are less expensive and more efficient than anything presently on the market. Currently, a stylus is used to mechanically etch microchannels into such panels, which electrically connect the individual solar cells and allow them to form an array. Researchers from Indiana’s Purdue University, however, are developing a technique in which an ultrafast pulsing laser is used to do the etching. Not only will it hopefully be quicker and cheaper than mechanical “scribing,” but it should also produce cleaner, sharper microchannels that offer superior performance.”

TEPCO warns of massive blackouts; urges conservation:

“The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has warned of massive blackouts across Japan, even affecting areas far removed from the direct impact of the earthquake, given that its power facilities were damaged by the quake.”

Japan battles nuclear meltdown:
“Japan was fighting to contain a rapidly escalating nuclear emergency as concerns mounted over a partial meltdown at two reactors at a 40-year-old power plant north of Tokyo.

Insurance / Gambling:

Casio decisions left up to voters:

“Maine may have a new governor and the first Republican-controlled Legislature in decades, but little has changed when it comes to setting policy on gambling.”

Health / Safety:

N.J. gets $39M from federal health insurance overhaul:
“New Jersey’s state public employee retirement system has received $39 million from a federal health insurance overhaul that Gov. Chris Christie regularly criticizes.”

Economics:

David Brooks’ case for government funding of public broadcasting: ‘To assimilate people’:
“What would American culture be without “PBS Newshour,” “Antiques Roadshow,” and “This Old House?” Forget about “American Idol,” Justin Bieber or the Major League Baseball because according to New York Times columnist and PBS contributor David Brooks a common culture might not be possible without the essential ingredients of public broadcasting.”

Nikkei Plunges As Quake Sparks Sell-Off:
“Tokyo stocks plunged Monday, with investors selling stocks to avert risks on concerns about the negative impact of Friday’s devastating earthquake on the economy and corporate earnings.”

Legal:

New York man faces five years in jail for ‘linking’ to online videos:
“In a case against a New York website owner, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is claiming that merely linking to copyrighted material is a crime.”

Labor:

SEIU takes its chances by going through mediation with county:
“When firefighters lost in contract arbitration, Clark County management hoped a message had been sent to other unions. Wouldn’t the other unions agree to concessions out of fear that they, too, could lose in arbitration?”

Transportation/ Land Use:

Call to scrap high speed rail link:
“The multi-billion high-speed rail link project that will see a new line connect London to Birmingham is an “expensive white elephant” and should be scrapped, an alliance of business leaders, politicians and economists have said.”