In Fight Over Piracy Bills, New Economy Rises Against Old [NYT]
When the powerful world of old media mobilized to win passage of an online antipiracy bill, it marshaled the reliable giants of K Street — the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Recording Industry Association of America and, of course, the motion picture lobby, with its new chairman, former Senator Christopher J. Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat and an insider’s insider. Yet on Wednesday this formidable old guard was forced to make way for the new as Web powerhouses backed by Internet activists rallied opposition to the legislation through Internet blackouts and cascading criticism, sending an unmistakable message to lawmakers grappling with new media issues: Don’t mess with the Internet.
Kodak Files for Bankruptcy Protection [WSJ]
Eastman Kodak Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York early Thursday morning, after the struggling photography icon ran short on cash needed to fund a long-sputtering turnaround. The storied former blue chip said it had secured $950 million in financing from Citigroup Inc. to help keep it afloat during bankruptcy proceedings. The company also named Dominic Di Napoli, a vice chairman at FTI Consulting Inc., as its chief restructuring officer to help steer the company through bankruptcy court. The 131-year-old company struggled for decades to cope with the emergence of competitors in its film business and the rise of digital technology. Its final pivot toward transforming into a company that sells printers proved too costly amid declining film sales and expensive obligations to retirees.
Rick Santorum’s tax proposals would add well over $1 trillion to the deficit in 2015, a new nonpartisan analysis has found, among the highest of the GOP presidential candidates. The Tax Policy Center found that Santorum’s plan would add some $1.3 trillion to the federal debt in 2015, if the Bush tax cuts and other provisions expire as scheduled. If current policies were continued, Santorum’s plan would boost the budget deficit by $900 billion. As they did with his fellow GOP candidates, the Tax Policy Center found that Santorum’s tax plan would be a boon to most wealthy taxpayers.