Senate

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is asking for a one-month extension on the national broadband plan the agency is required to submit to Congress.

The plan, mandated by last year's economic stimulus bill, is due to lawmakers by Feb. 17. It will lay out a policy road map for ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable high-speed Internet service.

By Evert Cilliers

Paul Krugman in the New York Times:

President Barack Obama's historic inauguration was the most searched-for topic on YouTube in January. But it didn't make the video site's most-watched list for 2009. More people were interested in Susan Boyle, the unglamorous Scottish vocal sensation whose flawless rendering of I Dreamed A Dream on Britain's Got Talent made her an unlikely star.

Drug companies would no longer be able to mine pharmacy records to track which doctors are prescribing their medications, under a proposal unveiled Thursday by two Senate Democrats.

The amendment to the Senate health care bill would effectively ban pharmaceutical data mining, the drug company practice of buying prescription records to target sales pitches to doctors.

Sens. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Dick Durbin of Illinois say the measure will combat "harassing sales practices" and "restrain undue influence" of pharmaceutical salespersons.

Michael Blim 

As the battle of the bedpans drags on, consuming what little
is left of the short attention span of the Congress, Democrats are taking up
financial reform.

Representative Barney Frank is responsible for legislation
in the House and Senator Christopher Dodd in the Senate.

Michael Blim 

As the battle of the bedpans drags on, consuming what little
is left of the short attention span of the Congress, Democrats are taking up
financial reform.

Representative Barney Frank is responsible for legislation
in the House and Senator Christopher Dodd in the Senate.

Former Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Carly Fiorina said Wednesday she is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by liberal stalwart Barbara Boxer of California.

Fiorina, who is a Republican, ended months of speculation with an announcement in an opinion piece in the Orange County Register. She was expected to make a formal announcement later in the day in Garden Grove.

by Jeff Strabone