Topic: Copyright Bill

Tucked inside the massive omnibus spending bill is a provision that makes the illegal streaming of copyrighted content a felony. This legislative tactic of "smothering" controversial laws inside must-pass funding bills is criticized as a way to bypass public debate on issues that would never pass as standalone legislation.

The European Parliament has moved forward with a controversial copyright bill that includes a "link tax" and mandatory content filtering. In domestic news, the death of FBI agent David Rayner in a murder-suicide is linked by conspiracy theorists to his expected testimony regarding the "Fast and Furious" scandal. Additionally, a water main burst at the Mandalay Bay hotel is viewed with suspicion regarding the preservation of evidence from the Las Vegas shooting.

A listener from Minnesota advocates for the election of Kurt Bills to the US Senate to replace Amy Klobuchar. Klobuchar is criticized for her past proposal to make streaming copyrighted videos a felony. The incumbent is also accused of avoiding town hall debates with her opponent.

The United Kingdom's Digital Economy Bill has been pushed through Parliament, introducing strict measures against illegal downloading and potentially threatening open Wi-Fi. Minister Stephen Timms, the official behind the bill, was criticized for a letter in which he mistakenly referred to an "IP address" as an "intellectual property address." This error is cited as evidence that the officials regulating the internet lack a basic understanding of its technology.

The UK Parliament's passage of the Digital Economy Bill is discussed, noting that only a small fraction of MPs were present for the vote. The law allows the government to disconnect users from the internet for alleged copyright infringement. The hosts warn that similar measures are being prepared globally to control information flow.