News Briefs
RSS Feed yesterday >This Week, Cory Booker's Social Media Savvy Just Wasn't Enough
In a look back at Newark Mayor Cory Booker's tough week, Maggie Haberman and Emily Schultheis write that what hurt him the most was his "tortured-looking YouTube reversal." On Meet the Press on Sunday, Booker said that Obama campaign attacks that positioned Mitt Romney as a habitual employee-terminator were "nauseating" in their polarization and treatment of private equity. For the Democratic Newark mayor, criticizing the president's campaign strategy meant the week took a sharp downhill turn. GO
Changing Winds for Open Data at the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service is going to update its weather alerts for the 21st century. Weather data has long been held up as a prime example of how government data can spur private enterprise, as an entire industry has evolved to interpret and package meteorological data coming from government sources. Now, the Weather Service is updating how it offers up that data for a next-generation weather industry. GO
As Government Moves To The Cloud, Software Industry Forms Group To Adapt To New IT Policies
A software and information industry group on Friday unveiled a new board of directors for its new Public Sector Innovation Group, which aims to help members learn more about the federal government's new way of managing its information technology resources and procurement processes. GO
On Change.org, a Big-Name Call for Dimon's Ouster from New York Fed
The International Monetary Fund's former Chief Economist Simon Johnson is using Change.org to build support for his position that JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon must resign from the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Johnson, a British economist who's a longtime professor at MIT, established the petition on Wednesday. Since then, more than 3,000 people have signed on to support his position. GO
Howard Rheingold on Congress, Digital Literacy, and Making Political Movements
From Congress to the classroom, digital literacy is a key skill that's often sorely lacking, Howard Rheingold, author of the new book "Net Smart: How to Thrive Online," said on Thursday's Personal Democracy Plus call — but there are ways to change that.
Rheingold derided "the degree of technological ignorance" in government and in particular Congress. "It's worse than ignorance," he said. "It's know-nothingness ... it's so endemic." During the fight over the Stop Online Piracy Act, members of Congress could often be heard pleading their ignorance of the Internet and its inner workings even as debating legislation that some said would alter the structure of the global communications network.
The call, moderated by TechPresident editorial director Micah Sifry, was recorded and is available online here.
GOShould U.N. Politics Affect the Internet?
A key U.S. House subcommittee plans on examining the implications of the U.S. ceding control of key aspects of the global Internet infrastructure next Thursday. The House Energy and Commerce's subcommittee on Communications and Technology announced Wednesday that it's going to hold a hearing on proposals at the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union to afford more control over Internet governance to countries other than the United States. GO
This Isn't What Political Air Time Usually Means
MoveOn.org is asking supporters for $150,000 in donations to fly a plane above high-dollar fundraisers for Mitt Romney with "a message that reminds voters how he represents his corporate and 1% donors." MoveOn previously hired a plane to fly over Romney's Liberty University graduation speech with the message "GOP = HIGHER SCHOOL DEBT." GO
There's a New $200 Million Fund for Super-High-Speed Broadband Projects
An initiative to build and test gigabit-speed broadband networks is set to fund up to six next-generation Internet access projects across the country, fueled by a new $200 million broadband development funding program, Gigabit Squared and Gig.U announced this morning. GO