Today’s Links: November 29, 2012

OPINION

NATE SILVER: “In Silicon Valley, Technology Talent Gap Threatens G.O.P. Campaigns”
“Companies like Google and Apple do not have their own precincts on Election Day. However, it is possible to make some inferences about just how overwhelmingly Democratic are the employees at these companies, based on fund-raising data. (The Federal Election Commission requires that donors to presidential campaigns disclose their employer when they make a campaign contribution.) Among employees who work for Google, Mr. Obama received about $720,000 in itemized contributions this year, compared with only $25,000 for Mr. Romney. That means that Mr. Obama collected almost 97 percent of the money between the two major candidates. Apple employees gave 91 percent of their dollars to Mr. Obama. At eBay, Mr. Obama received 89 percent of the money from employees.”

JULIAN SANCHEZ: “Adventures in FOIA-Land (or: Red Tape Is Not Transparent)”
“The Justice Department’s Inspector General has just completed their most recent review of surveillance under the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which is set to expire at the end of this year. The report, however, is classified—meaning the public is unlikely to see it before Congress votes to reauthorize the law for another five years during the lame duck session. Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists is trying to get a declassified version released—but he’s probably got a long wait ahead of him.”

BLOOMBERG NEWS EDITORIAL: “Cheaper, Better Air Traffic Control”
“As U.S. President Barack Obama and lawmakers scavenge for mutually acceptable spending cuts in order to strike a budget deal by Jan. 1, here’s an easy one: The $10 million a year wasted on overstaffed and unneeded Federal Aviation Administration facilities.”

 NEWS

HEALTHCARE - Federal Court Temporarily Blocks HHS Contraception Mandate for Private Business Owner
“The first private business owner to sue the Obama administration over its contraception mandate has won a small victory in the larger battle to preserve his religious liberty: A federal appeals court panel on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Obamacare mandate from taking effect against the Missouri business owner, pending the the outcome of the appeals process.”

INTERNATIONAL - A stunning chart shows Syria’s Internet blackout
“Syria’s apparent shutdown of all Internet services has now been confirmed by a second Web-monitoring service, Akamai. The company released this chart of Web traffic in and out of Syria, reporting that the country is ‘effectively off the Internet.’”

LABOR - Fast-food workers in New York protest for higher wages
“Fast-food restaurant employees protested in New York City on Thursday, demanding higher pay and the right to form a union – the latest attempt by lower-wage workers in the United States to increase their compensation.”