Al Franken's Blog, page 96
June 30, 2011
Minnesota Independent: Franken among senators seeking to guard net neutrality from GOP budget attack
No one loved the internet rules written by the Federal Communications Commission last year that sought to safeguard the free-flowing egalitarian quality of the internet, where communication-industry giants don't get to decide which information streams to users and at what speed.
One side thought the rules were overreaching socialism, and the other thought they were riven with the kind of loopholes corporate interests could wiggle through when it came time to assert control. This spring, Republicans in the House opposed to the rules voted to strip the FCC of the cash it would need to enforce them.
On Wednesday, a small band of senators, including Minnesota's Al Franken, sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) objecting to the House action and asking the committee to strip out the budget amendment that would hold back the FCC funds.
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Appolicious: FTC member suggests requiring 'do not track' feature for mobile apps
The Federal Trade Commission is pushing for stricter privacy protections for Internet users when surfing the web, and if some of those protections go into effect online, the mobile app sphere could be next.
FTC member Julie Brill suggested mobile devices should have a "do not track" feature built in that disables apps from tracking location data, personal information, call logs and other potentially sensitive info, during a keynote address to the American Center for Progress. The Washington Post has the story.
The FTC recently released a list of questions and answers called "Understanding Mobile Apps" on its website, OnGuardOnline.gov. Among other things, the document warns mobile app users that apps can access all kinds of information readily available on smartphones, and can track location data. Often these apps might be capable of, or even actively engaging in, passing that information back to third parties, like advertising companies.
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
June 28, 2011
MN Progressive Project: From the Twin Cities Pride parade
Yesterday was the Twin Cities Pride Parade, held as part of the the Gay Pride Festival. I was part of a multi-unit unit (that phrase doesn't quite make sense, but if astronomers can speak of multiple universes…) that was jointly the Human Rights Campaign, the Keith Ellison campaign, the Al Franken campaign, and the Betty McCollum campaign. In the first of the following photos, I was standing towards the back, though not all the way back, and couldn't see the front. That was a large unit. It was a pleasant moment when the parade PA person mentioned the DFL having a large group, because the point of being there was to show support for people whose rights are under attack.
(...)
Read the rest of MN Progressive Project: From the Twin Cities Pride parade
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Bemidji Pioneer: Franken Staff Energy Tour
U.S. Senator Al Franken's staff will meet with area businesses and advocates about the potential renewable energy holds for economic development in Minnesota at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at the American Indian Resource Center, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Drive, Bemidji. Sen. Franken, who was named to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in January, has conducted a Renewable Energy Listening Tour in communities across the state during the first half of 2011. Because Sen. Franken will be in Washinton, D.C., in the coming weeks while the Senate is in session, he has asked his State Energy Director Al Juhnke and his Minnesota field staff to conduct a series of renewable energy meetings across the state. Sen. Franken's staff has planned meetings in seven different communities around the state by the end of June.
(...)
Read the rest of Bemidji Pioneer: Franken Staff Energy Tour
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
June 27, 2011
Twin Cities Daily Planet: Politics, the business of talking and listening and seeking agreement when agreement doesn't seem possible.
I thought it was a thoughtful speech, and it takes no long leap to state that every word, every inflection, was very, very carefully put together for presentation to a diverse and immense world-wide audience including friends and enemies alike. This was not some soapbox kind of deal. Words do matter.
We watched the address within our usual news show, and a 13 minute speech doesn't do much damage to an hour program, so, of course, the end of the speech was followed by the grave analysis of what the President said, or didn't say, or should have said, etc. All of this was to be expected. Ditto the commentaries that are already flooding the internet, petitions, etc., etc., etc.
I respected the analysts last night, but I didn't stick around to hear their very predictable analysis. They were there to buttress their 'truth' as they perceive it to be. If only every one felt the same.
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Twin Cities Business: Franken to FDA: Get Input Before Changing 510(k) Regs
Minnesota Senator Al Franken is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider the medical device industry's suggestions and concerns before making additional changes to the 510(k) device approval process that are now under consideration.
Franken on Tuesday sent a letter to Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, urging the agency to tap the medical device industry's expertise before moving forward with recommendations being considered.
Earlier this year, the FDA released a plan to update the 510(k) approval process—a 35-year-old system used to approve the majority of medical devices for market. That plan contains 25 actions that the agency intends to implement this year. A handful of those actions have already been put into practice, but most of them are scheduled to be implemented later this year.
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
June 24, 2011
The Advocate: Senators to Obama: Time to Evolve
Although White House press secretary Jay Carney said earlier this week that he does not anticipate any revelatory statement from President Barack Obama on his gay marriage position when he takes the stage at an LGBT fund-raiser in New York this evening, a group of Democratic senators is now urging the president to support marriage equality.
This week The Advocate reached out to U.S. senators who have previously stated their support for marriage equality and asked whether the president should now do the same. Not all responded, and some who did reiterated their own support for equal rights while sidestepping the question of whether President Obama should follow their lead.
(...)
Read the rest of The Advocate: Senators to Obama: Time to Evolve
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Duluth News Tribune: Duluth airport gets another federal grant
A $1.3 million federal grant was announced today for the new Duluth International Airport passenger terminal already under construction.
The $65 million terminal project, expected to be completed next year, received the money from the Federal Aviation Administration through the Department of Transportation. It was announced by the offices of U.S. Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.
(...)
Read the rest of Duluth News Tribune: Duluth airport gets another federal grant
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
June 23, 2011
MNPublius: Saturday Schmoozing with Senator Franken
Matt, Zack, Megan and I had the opportunity to sit down with Senator Al Franken shortly after his Netroots Nation speech on Saturday morning. We had our audience with Al immediately after the estimable Robin Marty.
On Friday we solicited questions from readers for the Senator; and we had a couple great ones that got worked into our Q&A time with Al. A recap after the jump.
(...)
Read the rest of MNPublius: Saturday Schmoozing with Senator Franken
© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
Permalink
Post tags:
Al Franken's Blog
- Al Franken's profile
- 651 followers
