The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated just for Money and Markets readers: personal security and freedom, world news, and technology and business.
Personal Security and Freedom:
Gates Foundation Collecting Private Info on 11 Million Students
Over privacy concerns, MoveOn.org began a petition to stop the New York State Education Department from collecting this information without parental consent. So far, over 4,000 signatures have been attained.
Climate Change Advocates Try to Silence Opposition
Those who don’t like the arguments should by all means criticize, dispute, denounce and otherwise provide a counterargument. Instead, these folks believe that censorship is preferable. Why engage the opposition when they can simply silence them?
Pressure Mounts Over Arizona Bill Opposed by Gays
The bill is being pushed by the Center for Arizona Policy, a social conservative group that opposes abortion and gay marriage. The group says the proposal is needed to protect against increasingly activist federal courts and simply clarifies existing state law.
Arizona Bill Does Not Give Businesses License to Discriminate Against Gays
Some have claimed that a bill recently passed by the Arizona legislature would give businesses broad license to not serve someone for being gay. This claim, though, may be a misreading, according a CP legislative analysis.
Google’s Schmidt: ‘We Don’t (Yet) Have a Connection Inside Your Brain’
“What we’re very good at, if you look at the AI is, we’re very good at looking at historical patterns and, based on historical patterns, suggesting things. Oh, yes. And just as good at excluding other things.”
News from Ukraine:
Moscow Takes Aim at Ukraine’s Interim Leaders and the West
Russia denounced Ukraine’s interim leaders as dictators on Monday and blasted the western governments that it said helped bring them to power, in a sign that the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovich is triggering a regional stand-off.
With Sochi Games Over, Will Putin Take the Gloves Off?
The circus artists, dancers and flag bearers hardly had time to leave the stadium after the closing ceremony in Sochi before Russia announced it had recalled its ambassador from Ukraine for consultations in Moscow.
‘Ukraine’s New Rulers are Gun-toting Mutineers and We Will Not Work with Them,” Says Russia
The first reaction from Russia on the political transition in Kiev puts it at odds with the European Union, which considers recent events as a legitimate transfer of power to an acting government which is keen to rekindle ties with its neighbors to the west.
Amid Political Upheaval, Ukraine Faces Dire Need for Economic Help
The new speaker, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, admitted as much, warning in an open letter to the Ukrainian people on Sunday that “Ukraine is now in a pre-default condition and sliding into the abyss.”
Technology and business:
Linkedin Makes China Connection
Linkedin, the networking site for professionals, has done what few other foreign online services have achieved — it has successfully set up its China operations. With the launch of a simplified Chinese version of its hugely popular “social” media site for professional contacts, it is set to exploit a gap in this potentially lucrative market.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg: WhatsApp Worth More Than its Price Tag
“The reality is that there are very few services that reach a billion people in the world. They’re all incredibly valuable, much more valuable than that,” Zuckerberg said, referring to the price tag, which included $16 billion in cash and stock and $3 billion in restricted stock units.
Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox’s Website Appears to Have Been Deleted
Earlier Tuesday, the chief executives of six major bitcoin exchanges and businesses pledged to coordinate efforts to assure customers of the security of their funds in response to mounting concern about the future of Mt. Gox.
Samsung Unveils Latest Galaxy Phone
Instead of going for the wow factor, Samsung executives said the company wanted to enhance core features that improve everyday use, like photo-taking, battery life, download speeds and protection against water and dust.
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
