In response to a spanking from the FCC regarding throttling users based on applications 24-7, Comcast will start throttling heavy internet users during times of high network utilization, which is what they should have done in the first place.
There now, that wasn’t so hard, was it.
Their real problem, of course, is an architecture that is inadequate, but we know what cable companies do when there is a choice between screwing the customer, and fixing the real problem.
FedEx has been classifying its drivers as independent contractors for years, despite the fact that it, “tells its ground-service drivers when to work, what to charge customers and what kind of socks and shoes to wear,” and it looks like a federal judge is about to rule against them opening them up to billions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages, and possibly even more in back taxes.
What’s more, it’s likely to see successful unionization efforts once reclassification is completed.
This is an increasing problem nationwide, and one would hope that there will be a crackdown soon.
Now New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is strongly implying that he will be going after brokerages, in addition to his already having gone after investment banks, on misleading investors as to the nature, and risk, of auction rate securities.
It’s depressing that when scandals break out in the financial system, that the Federal government seems to be completely uninvolved, and that state authorities have to enforce the law.
In reswsponse to the news that Lieberman would speak at the Republican convention, Mr. Bowers noted:
I believe this is what some Senate Democrats were waiting for before deciding to strip Lieberman of his committee chair next year. I still remain skeptical that they will actually strip him of his committee chair, since it will demonstrate self-respect and a willingness to stand up to conservative Democrats. This just isn’t something you see much of from our representatives in Congress, particularly the latter.
I agree. If I would argue that not only should he be stripped of his committee chairmanship, but of his seniority too.
Of course, that would require a spine, an unlikely event.
Ms. Pritzker, Barack Obama’s campaign finance chairwoman was, as I’ve noted earlier, chairman of the board for Superior Bank of Chicago, the bank that pioneered the subprime and predatory loans as a business model, that collapsed in 2001.
It’s likely that at some point this will become an issue, but to the degree that she invites reporters to cover her, as she clearly does here, she makes it even more likely.
The article is innocuous enough, it really is quite favorable, but it raises her public profile, which makes her a more likely target.
Given the current state of affairs in banking and housing, I cannot imagine anyone, in any campaign, who would not use her background against any campaign with which she was associated.
She needs to keep her head down.
There hasn’t been a correction or clarification yet.
Of course, the “completely fair” Andrea “Bubbles” Mitchell, and the rest of the Beltway bunch will figure out a way for it not to be him being confused, or actually suggesting that he would restart the draft.
This all seems to have happened in the past 6 months or so. I’m wondering if the judiciary has just gotten sick of them, or if lame duck syndrome changes the thinking of judges.
In this case, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided that the Bush EPA was full of it when they tried to prevent state and local governments from monitoring power plant pollution.
Seriously, it seems that the courts are finally getting around to reversing blatantly illegal crap that has been going on for years…Do the wheels of justice just grind this slow, or some members of the Judiciary realizing that this is not a boat that they want to hitch their anchor to?
Ted “The Hulk” Stevens wanted his corruption trial moved to Alaska, but since the crimes were committed in DC, the judge said no.
Hulk go to jail.
It appears that there is a rumor that Caroline Kennedy’s name is being floated as a VP pick for Obama.
She is on the selection committee, and the author of the article, Alexander Mooney, draws a comparison to Dick Cheney, who was on the selection committee.
The problem is that she ain’t Dick Cheney. It would be another Kennedy affirmative action hire, like Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in Maryland, or Sargent Shriver for McGovern’s running mate after Tom Eagleton bowed out.
Please, God no.
I’m not sure what surprises me more, that someone in the press said this, that it came from the Startlegram (Fort Worth Star-Telegram my paper when I lived in Arlington, TX), or that the people who wrote this are senior members of the conservative CATO institute, which is heavily funded by the usual suspects, including Richard Mellon Scaife, but Ted Galen Carpenter and Malou Innocent get it completely when they say that , “Indeed, the record indicates that McCain’s own judgment is alarmingly bad.
They describe him as a, “Clear and present danger in the Oval Office.”
I’m wondering if conservatives are starting to tiptoe for the exits regarding the sick old man.
As it always is in times of crisis, we are seeing a flight to government bonds. Everything else appears too dicey, with mortgage applications at a nearly 8 year low, estimated food inflation for this year may be at a 28 year high, and home prices in high priced areas falling like a stone, even if volume is up a bit.
In energy and currency, the dollar is up a bit, as is oil, though neither are up significantly, and gasoline is down for the 34th straight day, and it’s now down about 10% from the peak.
Care of Atrios:
Perhaps they should consider my cunning plan to let 18 year olds have a drinking license or a driver’s license but not both, which would have the added benefit of helping my plot to make everyone move to Manhattan increasing the appeal of less car dependent locations.
(emphasis mine)
I’m Matthew Saroff, and I approve of this message.
She will start after the convention, and follow Olbermann, replacing Dan Abrams.
Good news. Saw it on Olbermann last night, and he said something interesting that I would like confirmed, that the costs of a live audience was what did in Donohue…The audience shows up for free, but I guess that they increase the cost of production.
So that defense contractors could profit off of Iraqi oil money.
With hundreds, if not thousands of tanks and APCs, and any foreseeable conflict being urban warfare, Iraq is looking to buy about $2.16 billion in arms, including 140 M-1 tanks, the most expensive tank on earth.
Sorry, but Mr. Obama, you are being a wimp.
Begging for McCain to lay off makes you look weak. Your message should be that, “John McCain will say and do anything to be president.”
People will now be able do demand in court to confirm that they are on the no fly list, and challenge the reasons for that placement in court.
Her bill won’t have a poison pill for sane people, but the other parts of the bill will be like Kryptonite to Republicans.
Specifically, she will be putting a repeal of the tax loophooles for oil companies, funding mass transit, releasing oil from the strategic petroleum reserves, and funding for alternative energy.
Heh
I think that he’s looking at poll numbers and focus groups, as opposed to listening to the idiots inside the Beltway, who make lots of money, and have no issues with their healthcare.
It’s a start.
10 French soldiers killed, and it appears that the Taliban is beginning a major offensive.
No doubt they will get the butts kicked, but it shows just how misguided we were to pull out to invade Iraq.
I stand by my earlier assessment, that the Russians are pulling out, but doing so with all deliberate slowness.
In any case, it does appear that the Russians are determined to humiliate the Georgians, and their state security apparatus, as much as possible on the way out.
They still seem to be messing around in the main Georgian port of Poti, and they are maintaining that, “A 1999 document written up by the Joint Control Commission, an international body that monitored tensions in South Ossetia, gives peacekeepers access to a long piece of land that extends about nine miles into Georgian territory.”
This is about showing who is boss, which is immature, but at least no shots are being fired right now.
That being said, the Russians are suffering some diplomatic blow-back, with Ukraine offering NATO access to a former Soviet missile early warning station, and Poland signing a deal on installing the US ABM system.
Certainly these will be more noticed by the Russians than what will be a temporary downgrade of NATO-Russian relations, which is not going to last long, if just because cooperation with them on Iran is essential.
We have an interesting quote in this article about the US capitulating on NATO membership for Georgia:
“Russia has successfully burned Georgia’s NATO card,” said Sarah E. Mendelson, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “Whatever the outcome, Russia has all but obliterated Georgia’s possibility of joining NATO, as it cannot belong to this alliance if it has unresolved border disputes.”
Let’s be clear. The Russians won.
