Chad’s Morning Brief: A New Era in Texas Begins as Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick Take Oath of Office, Obamacare Website Sharing Personal Data, and Other Top Stories
Here is your Morning Brief for January 21, 2015.
A New Era
Texas has a new Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick took their respective oaths yesterday in Austin. During his speech Abbott stuck to the themes he had been discussing recently such as jobs and infrastructure according to the Texas Tribune.
The new governor pledged to build more roads, secure the border and "speed up our needed water projects." Abbott also said he will "ensure that we keep Texas No. 1 in the nation for job creation," which he said will require improving the state's education system.
As the state's longest-serving attorney general, Abbott developed a reputation for taking on the federal government, against which he filed more than 30 lawsuits. He indicated that he does not intend to alter his approach to dealing with Washington, D.C.
"We Texans aren't spoiling for a fight, but we won't shrink from one if the cause is right," he said.
During Perry's tenure as Governor he was seen as the more dominate force over the office of lieutenant governor. It will be worth watching to see if that stays the same under Abbott as Dan Patrick has been seen as someone who will look to assert himself. On Tuesday, Patrick came across as the more fiery speaker and Abbott came across as more reserved. Should be an interesting dynamic.
Personal Data Shared
Have you been to HealthCare.gov recently? If so, there is a good chance that the government website is sending your data to private companies according to the AP.
The scope of what is disclosed or how it might be used was not immediately clear, but it can include age, income, ZIP code, whether a person smokes, and if a person is pregnant. It can include a computer's Internet address, which can identify a person's name or address when combined with other information collected by sophisticated online marketing or advertising firms.
The Obama administration says HealthCare.gov's connections to data firms were intended to help improve the consumer experience. Officials said outside firms are barred from using the data to further their own business interests.
The AP also reported that a few of the companies that were collecting user data had raised concern because of the specific information gathered. Look for Republicans and those concerned about privacy to raise this as an issue.
Other Must Read Links:
These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.
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