Note: Between August 20 and September 2, the CPP
News-Clipping Service may be whacky, inconsistent, and a bit too
serious. Kevin is on vacation and has assigned his minions
the responsibility to get the news out to youse. We'll do
our best.
In today's headlines:
Online Industry:
WSJ: CompuServe Posts $4.1 Million Loss; Sets Flat-Rate
Fee Above Those of Rivals
Campaigns & Elections
WSJ: The Bogus Case Against Ending Soft Money
NYT: A Free-Speech Senator Fights Limits on Donations
Privacy:
WSJ: I Spy: Wall Street Gets Sneaky Software
to Keep an Eye on Broker-Client E-Mail
Technology Use:
WashPost: Law Meets Technology in Courtroom No. 9
Long Distance Regulation in Michigan:
FCC: Text of Commission's Decision re: Ameritech
Internet Telephony:
NTIA: Forum on Internet Telephone Sept 4, Washington Press Club
********************** ONLINE INDUSTRY *************************
Title: CompuServe Posts $4.1 Million Loss; Sets Flat-Rate Fee
Above Those of Rivals
Source: Wall Street Journal (B9)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Jared Sandberg
Issue: Internet Service Providers / Online Industry
Description: In a failing effort to reach a break-even point, the nation's
oldest living online service posted losses of $4.1 million for the first
quarter of its fiscal year-- this despite the service finally moving to a
flat-rate monthly fee. But $24.95/mo doesn't beat America OnLine's
$19.95/mo and CompuServe saw the defection of 94,000 subscribers during this
same time period. Majority shareholder H&R Block has been trying to sell
CompuServe for months, and is still in negotiations with AOL. While the
main consumer service is drooping, CompuServe's business-focused network
services (private data networks, high-speed links to the Internet) *grew* 27%.
******************** CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS *******************
Title: The Bogus Case Against Ending Soft Money
Source: Wall Street Journal (A15)
http://www.wsj.com
Author: Albert R. Hunt
Issue: Campaign Finance
Description: The author takes a hard and critical look at the arguments
being presented before the Thompson hearings on campaign finance reform,
especially pertaining to proposed limits or all-out bans on soft money
contributions (currently unrestricted; allows corporations, unions and
vested interests to give unlimited amounts of money to political parties.)
Highlights include: pointing out that ACLU (which argues that a ban violates
the first amendment) has received half a million dollars over the last six
years from soft-money "granddaddy" Philip Morris; questioning why soft money
from Asia is demonstrably dirty, while Philip Morris' money is somehow
cleaner; that despite the attention on campaign finance reform this year,
soft money contributions have more than doubled from the same time period
last year. [See Benton's contribution to campaign finance reform at:
http://www.destinationdemocracy.org ]
Title: A Free-Speech Senator Fights Limits on Donations
Source: New York Times (A26)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/washpol/spending-limit-foe.html
Author: Francis X. Clines
Issue: Campaign Finance
Description: "To Common Cause, I'm Darth Vader," says Kentucky Republican
Mitch McConnell, "But to the American Civil Liberties Union, I'm Luke
Skywalker." The Senator has become a dominant figure fighting campaign
finance reform efforts. While hearings of the Senate's Governmental Affairs
Committee have uncovered large sums of "soft money" donated in campaigns
(general money to the political parties) McConnell contends that the cause
has been restrictions on hard money to specific candidates. "What we need
to do is dramatically free up the parties to operate in hard money."
*********************** PRIVACY ****************************
Title: I Spy: Wall Street Gets Sneaky Software
to Keep an Eye on Broker-Client E-Mail
Source: Wall Street Journal (C1)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Alex Markels
Issue: workplace privacy
Description: Some Wall Street securities firms are testing electronic
surveillance techniques to monitor email communication between brokers and
clients. The New York Stock Exchange requires that written communications
between brokers and clients be previewed by a supervisor to guard against
coercion or misrepresentation, but the popularity of email has made this
safeguard a headache. In the proposed system, email messages would be
scanned automatically for "red-flags" that would trigger further review.
Of course, the same technology can be used to head off other "problem"
email: one CFO says "the magic of this is that it can also stop improper
language, jokes and discriminatory references."
************************ TECHNOLOGY USE *******************************8
Title: Law Meets Technology in Courtroom No. 9
Source: Washington Post (DC 1)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Toni Locy
Issue: Technology Use
Description: Story describes one of ten high-tech federal courtrooms around
the country that have been fitted with computer monitors, CD-ROMs, and
high-powered overhead projectors. Judge Hogan believes it will speed up
trials, especially cases with massive amounts of paper evidence. Jurors
claim that the technology improves evidence review. Cost of installing these
high-tech courtrooms paid for out of the clerk of court's trustee fund,
which includes fees that lawyers pay to practice at the court.
************ Long Distance Regulation in Michigan ************
At the FCC http://www.fcc.gov
The text of the FCC's memorandum opinion and order denying Ameritech's
application to become a long distance carrier in Michigan is avaliable
on the Common Carrier Bureau's web site at
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/in-region_applications/amerite...
************************ Internet Telephony ***********************
At the NTIA http://www.ntia.doc.gov
A forum on Internet telephony will take place at the National Press Club
on Thursday, September 4. The forum will be broadcast over the Internet
and those who are interested in either attending or getting information
on the broadcast should contact Patrice Washington at (202) 482-7002, or
send an e-mail to forum( at )ntia.doc.gov. The discussion topics for the
forum will include: Internet Telephony at a Glance, Policy Perspectives,
Evolving Applications and Technology Demonstrations, and Future
Directions.
*********