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Digitizing the Bill of Rights
The ACLU blasted Ashcroft in its statement celebrating the ruling: "This is a landmark victory against the Ashcroft Justice Department's misguided attempt to intrude into the lives of innocent Americans in the name of national security," said ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero. "Even now, some in Congress are trying to pass additional intrusive law enforcement powers. This decision should put a halt to those efforts."
Digital Debate
Tonight's presidential debate will put President Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry on TV screens across the nation. But true political junkies might want to head online, according to Wired News: "In some respects, the real debate, or a better semblance of one, will take place in cyberspace. The Bush campaign threw the first punch. Earlier this week, it launched a massive rapid-response effort called Debate Facts to rebut challenger John Kerry's assertions during the debates. The campaign will provide a live feed to about 5,000 conservative blogs that subscribe to its news alerts. Debate Facts is similar to the 'war room' the Bush campaign and the Republican National Committee set up in Boston during the Democratic convention -- only much larger and more sophisticated."
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As for Kerry's team, the rapid response effort to the debate "apparently won't be as comprehensive. When asked about Kerry's response operations early Wednesday afternoon, a representative said the campaign was still working on it," Wired News said. The debate features prominently on Kerry's official presidential campaign Web site, with the headline, "Debate Tonight."
• Wired News: Bush Team Prepares Net Assault
A Soaring Deal
The act of booking travel online got major validation yesterday with Cendant Corp.'s $1.25 billion acquisition of online travel service Orbitz. Cendant, which already owns such marquee brands as Avis, Budget and CheapTickets.com, gets an established travel site and five major airlines, the original backers of Orbitz, get some much needed cash. But it won't be enough to save the beleaguered airlines. "What these airlines get from this transaction won't pay for half a month's fuel bill," said Jeffrey G. Katz, Orbitz chairman and chief executive, according to The Washington Post. "Selling Orbitz allows the airlines to focus on generating sales through their individual Web sites, a strategy each carrier has undertaken to reduce costs," the Post said. The deal puts Orbitz just behind No. 1 travel site Expedia, USA Today said.
• The Washington Post: Cendant To Buy Travel Site Orbitz (Registration required)
• USA Today: Cendant To Buy Orbitz For $1.25B
The Chicago Tribune broke down the numbers due to fly towards the airlines. "The carriers -- American, United, Delta, Northwest and Continental -- stand to reap more than $730 million combined in the deal, and that's on top of $250 million from an initial public offering in December, according to Orbitz. After the IPO, the airlines retained a controlling stake in the firm. American and United, the largest stakeholders, stand to gain $184 million each," the paper said. Ray Neidl, an aerospace analyst for Calyon Securities, told the Tribune that "every bit of cash in this environment helps airlines."
• The Chicago Tribune: Orbitz Adding Muscle With Sale to Cendant (Registration required)
Update on Microsoft Vs. Brussels
Microsoft is trying to head off penalties from European Union antitrust regulators as it seeks to defend the reach of its powerful Windows operating system. The company asked an EU judge today "to freeze a European Commission order forcing it to share technology with competitors, but a rival said the software giant used to provide such information freely. Microsoft Corp. is seeking the suspension of penalties imposed on it for violating antitrust law by using its Windows operating system monopoly to hurt competitors. The world's largest software company wants the suspension until its court challenge of a Commission decision is completed years from now," Reuters reported. The Associated Press said "an opening session at the EU's second-highest court, Microsoft lawyers also argued that an early implementation of the EU decision was unnecessary to protect competitors."
• Reuters via washingtonpost.com: Microsoft Asks Judge To Suspend Penalties (Registration required)
• The Associated Press via washingtonpost.com: Microsoft Seeks Suspension of EU Ruling
Meanwhile... As the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant battles it out across the pond, the company is trying to make its product more appealing in markets where Linux alternatives are taking hold or piracy of its products runs rampant. "Microsoft has extended its trial of a new low-price version of the Windows PC operating system to India, a country with one of the highest software piracy rates in the world. The move marks a bold extension of a strategy that has also raised fundamental questions about Microsoft's ability to maintain its prices in the developed world. The trial price of the program in India is expected to be about $40," the Financial Times reported.
• The Financial Times: Cut-Priced Windows Trial Widened To India