Al Franken's Blog, page 81
December 15, 2011
Care2: Franken, 13 Other Senators Ask For "Rationale" On Plan B Decision
Despite the Food and Drug Agency's recommendation to allow Plan B, a form of emergency contraception that would prevent pregnancy if used within 72 hours of having unprotected sex, to be sold over the counter to women and girls of all ages, the Obama Administration overruled the agency, refusing to allow it to be obtained by girls under the age of 17 without a prescription.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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HuffingtonPost: Robert Mueller Can't Rule Out FBI Obtained Data From Carrier IQ
FBI Director Robert Mueller on Wednesday denied the bureau had ever sought information from the mobile-software company Carrier IQ, but said he could not rule out the possibility it obtained data collected by the controversial software through requests from wireless carriers.
At a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mueller said the FBI had "neither sought nor obtained any information from Carrier IQ in any one of our investigations."
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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Time: Is Your Cell Phone Listening in on You?
When a Connecticut programmer revealed that Carrier IQ, a hidden program on many smartphones, had the power to transmit information about the user's location, web searches and text messages, the blogosphere erupted with commentary. Senator Al Franken of Minnesota sent a letter to Carrier IQ, Inc., asserting that the use of the software without the consumer's consent could violate the federal wiretap statute.
But the Carrier IQ incident is just the tip of the iceberg of surreptitious collection of information about us using key features of our smartphones — their cameras, their microphones and their ability to connect to the Internet. And our legal protections are far less secure than Franken thinks.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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MinnPost.com: Franken focuses in on data privacy
In April, researchers released a study that accused Apple of logging iPhone and iPad users' locations in unencrypted files on the devices without telling its customers. At the time, Sen. Al Franken and his staff were prepping for the first hearing of a new Judiciary subcommittee he was chairing, and the timing of the researchers' study couldn't have been more perfect.
Days later, Franken announced the first-ever hearing of the Subcommittee on Technology, Privacy and the Law, entitled: "Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy."
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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December 13, 2011
Pioneer Press: Minnesota's home-heating assistance fund running out
Congress needs to restore funding for the nation's low-income heating assistance program to last year's levels, or 40,000 Minnesota households will not get aid this winter, U.S. Sen. Al Franken and Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman said at a news conference Friday in Minneapolis.
The state got $152.6 million last year from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, but this year it has gotten less than half that, $73.5 million.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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St. Cloud Times: Possible cuts to heat assistance spark unease
As temperatures grow colder, more Minnesotans are seeking financial help to stay warm this winter.
That concerns state and local officials who worry there won't be as much federal funding for the heating assistance program as last year.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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Hudson Patch: St. Croix River Crossing: As Congress Winds Down, Lawmakers Work to Bring Stillwater Bridge to a Vote
During a trip to visit Golden Living Center in Stillwater this weekend, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said he is still working to get the St. Croix River Crossing bill an omnibus hearing.
Congress is hoping to wrap up work for 2011 by the end of this week, according to a Minnesota Public Radio report. But with tax cut extension and annual spending bills that have yet to be resolved, a final vote to exempt the proposed $690 million bridge from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has not yet been scheduled.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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December 9, 2011
InfoForum: Education reform session pans testing, labels
Teresa Shume's suggestion for improving No Child Left Behind law was so simple yet so far removed from current policy it drew a laugh from the crowd:
"Part of the solution," she said, "might be less testing."
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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December 6, 2011
Workers need payroll-tax cut
Detroit Lakes Tribune – With property taxes going up, medical insurance not getting any cheaper and incomes largely stagnant, middle class workers in Minnesota are staggering under a heavy load.
The straw that may break their back is the stalemate in Congress over continuing the payroll tax cut for another year.
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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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