Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They’re not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

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Big Government, not Big Media, Threatens Free Speech

Self-appointed consumer watchdogs–including Obama’s recent pick for FCC chair, Julius Genachowski–have long complained about media consolidation. So it was no surprise that when the FCC recently loosened restrictions barring companies from owning a newspaper and TV station in the same city, these critics went apoplectic and are now urging the House to follow the Senate in blocking the measure.

Media consolidation supposedly threatens free speech. A few conglomerates, critics warn, have seized control of our media outlets, enabling these companies to shove a single “corporate-friendly” perspective down our throats. As Senator Byron Dorgan put it, “The free flow of information in this country is not accommodated by having fewer and fewer voices determine what is out there. . . . You have five or six corporate interests that determine what Americans can see, hear, and read.”
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Fla. GOP warned public opinion low

ORLANDO — A national Republican pollster warned Florida GOP activists that public sentiment is running against their party on key economic issues Friday and said the presidential race is going to be incredibly close.
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Leon circuit judge pulls Florida tax-swap amendment from ballot

A circuit judge Thursday threw the tax-swap constitutional amendment off Florida’s November ballot, saying its legal title and summary do not tell voters what the proposal really does.
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Candidates say tough budget choices require some creative thinking

Leon County legislative candidates agreed Wednesday that Florida’s fiscal crisis requires government to make tough choices about budget priorities and look for new revenue sources.
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Attorney: Wording on tax-swap amendment misleading, confusing

An attorney trying to knock the tax-swap amendment off the ballot told a judge Wednesday that proponents tried to “hide the ball” and sneak multiple provisions past Florida voters in November.
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FDLE may be forced to cut more positions

The head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Tuesday budget belt-tightening may force 40 to 50 layoffs and the state might pull out of all but the biggest drug cases.   

FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said he is meeting with sheriffs and police chief associations to see what they are most willing to give up. He told Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet that the department’s most sought-after services, like DNA laboratory work and fingerprint checks, will not be scaled back but that some extremely difficult choices lie ahead.

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FDLE may be forced to cut more positions