Search Results for “https:” – Page 744

Craigslist has cost U.S. newspapers $5 billion

“The study, to be published in the journal Management Science covering the period 2000 to 2007, found Craigslist has had a huge impact on local US newspapers, which have in the past relied heavily on classifieds. Over that period the researchers noted a 20.7 percent drop in classified ad rates, a 3.3 percent increase in subscription prices and a 4.4 percent decrease in circulation, according to a summary of the research released this week by New York University. ‘We ascribe this impact to Craigslist,’ Seamans told AFP. ‘When Craigslist enters a market, the effect on a newspaper’s classified ads is almost immediate,’ he added.” Continue reading →

After destroying newspapers, the Internet is now poised to disrupt television

“Having turned print media upside down, the Internet now is disrupting television, forcing broadcasters to adapt to tablets and video-on-demand to hold onto views and advertisers. ‘The gap between what consumers want and the way the industry is delivering it has grown so big that the industry now has to start to make some moves,’ Forrester Research analyst Jim Nail told AFP. For the first time this year, American adults are spending more time with the Internet than in front of television sets — about five hours a day compared to 4.5, according to a study in eMarketer this month. Internet giant Google has joined the party with Chromecast.” Continue reading →

Feinstein wants to limit who can be a journalist

“The most recent congressional threat to the free press in the United States comes from California Democrat U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. In a proposed amendment to a media shield law being considered by Congress, Feinstein writes that only paid journalists should be given protections from prosecution for what they say or write. The language in her proposal is raising concerns from First Amendment advocates because it seems to leave out bloggers and other nontraditional forms of journalism that have proliferated in recent years thanks to the Internet. At a congressional hearing on the matter last week, Feinstein said shield laws should only apply to ‘real reporters.'” Continue reading →

Saudi government smashes ‘sinful’ statues of horses

“Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has smashed sculptures of horses erected on a roundabout in the southwest after the kingdom’s top cleric denounced them as sinful, local media reported on Wednesday. The decision came after Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Shaikh sent a letter to the governor of Jazan demanding that ‘the sculptures be removed because they are a great sin and are prohibited under sharia (Islamic law),’ said another news webitse, sabq.org. Statues of people and animals are prohibited under Islam as they represent a form of idolatry. However, the religion does allow artworks depicting plants and landscapes.” Continue reading →

Egypt declares month-long state of emergency over violence

“Egypt declared a month-long state of emergency Wednesday as violence raged across the country following a crackdown on supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. The nationwide state of emergency will begin at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), the presidency said in a statement read out on state television.” Continue reading →

Pro-Mursi protester shot dead as Egypt standoff intensifies

“One Muslim Brotherhood member was shot dead and at least 11 people wounded in Egypt on Tuesday, security sources said, with the Islamist group accusing plain clothes police of firing on their march. Authorities have held back from clearing two Brotherhood protest camps in Cairo, but the shootings and other street clashes showed Egypt remained dangerously divided. Some officials wish to avoid a bloody showdown that would damage the government’s efforts to present itself as legitimate, while hardliners in the army and security forces fear they are losing face to the Brotherhood and want to move in.” Continue reading →

Open season: MN legislator targets handgun permit class for fundraiser

“Ready, aim, contribute! It’s open season for legislators with a 2014 re-election campaign in their sights. State Rep. Cindy Pugh thinks she’s hit a bull’s-eye with her ‘Get Your Carry Permit With Cindy!’ fundraiser next weekend, which provides residents a change to train with firearms and contribute to her political coffer. Pugh’s supporters will contribute to her campaign by paying a $125 fee ($100 for permit renewals) to take a one-day training class alongside the freshman legislator Saturday. The session in the Twin Cities suburb of Chanhassen covers the state-required training needed to apply for a permit to carry a handgun in Minnesota.” Continue reading →

L.A. County Sheriff Awards Carry Permits to Friends, Donors

“Public records show Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who is known for being stingy with concealed-weapons permits in an anti-gun jurisdiction, may be giving out permits disproportionately to his friends and political supporters and donors. L.A. Weekly obtained public records for all of the 341 active concealed-weapons permits in addition to the 123 applications for permits that were denied over the last 18 months. The records show that of all the people who were denied a permit, only one had contributed to Baca. Baca’s friends and campaign donors disproportionately make up the list of those who have active permits.” Continue reading →