rsecurity," a coalition that included the American Civil Liberties Union and former conservative Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., wrote lawmakers Thursday. Echoing those concerns were several Republicans and Democrats who warned of potential government spying on its citizens with the help of employers. "In an effort to foster information sharing, this bill would erode the privacy protections of every single American using the Internet,cheap toms shoes. It would create a 'Wild West' of information sharing," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. Said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas: "Until we protect the privacy rights of our citizens, the solution is worse than the problem." Countering criticism of Big Brother run amok, proponents argued that the bill does not allow the government to monitor private networks, read private emails or close a website. It urges companies that share data to remove personal information. "There is no government surveillance, none, not any in this bill," Rogers said. Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ. An insider's guide to politics and policy, available on the iPad or as a PDF download.
By SANDY SHORE, Associated Press Dow Chemical's winter doldrums have given way to some spring optimism. The chemical manufacturing giant said volumes improved in every sector and most geographic regions in March, as customers began rebuilding inventories from last year's low levels. That helped offset sluggish sales in January and February,cheap toms shoes. The company's net income dropped 34 percent in the first three months of the year in part because of a $357 million pre-tax charge related to plant closures that occurred as a result of weak business conditions in Europe. For the first quarter, Dow Chemical reported net income of $412 million, or 35 cents per share. That compared with $625 million, or 54 cents per share, during the year-ago quarter. Net income in both quarters included $85 million in preferred stock dividends. Revenue was flat at $14.7 billion. Excluding restructuring costs related to the plant closures and other one-time items, Dow said it earned 61 cents per share. Analysts, who typically exclude special items, expected earnings of 59 cents per share and revenue of $14.96 billion, according to FactSet. The Midland, Mich., manufacturer said that overall sales volume rose 3 percent, driven by a 12 percent jump in agricultural products and a 7 percent increase in feedstocks and energy. That was offset by flat to slightly lower volumes in other business segments,cheap toms shoes. Demand improved in the U.S. Latin America remained strong and a rebound in China markets picked up in March. There were positive signs in Germany but, overall, Europe continued to struggle. That demand momentum is expected to continue in the second quarter and throughout 2012, although Europe is "still a bit of a wait," said Dow Chemical chairman and CEO Andrew N. Liveris. "We don't want to be irrationally exu Related articles:

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