Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Monday announced 35 Recovery Act projects worth a total of $482 million aimed at expanding public computing centers and broadband Internet access.

The stimulus-funded projects are designed to expand public access to computers and broadband Internet availability, particularly in rural areas. The Recovery Act included almost $7 billion for rural broadband access; Monday's announcement was the second in a series of broadband grant awards from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

“We are investing in ‘middle-mile’ networks that bring high-speed Internet access to communities and connect key anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, and hospitals. We are also investing in projects to improve access and spur Internet usage and adoption," NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling said.

A women in stilettos stamping on a puppy's head until the animal dies will be the kind of material discussed Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary hearing. 

Videos depicting acts of animal violence have spread with the Internet's help, and the committee is looking for ways to shallow out the supply.

The issue of "animal crush videos" has been on Congressional radar for more than a decade, and a law was passed to ban them in 1999. A recent Supreme Court decision overturned it, however, finding the law overly broad and possibly in conflict with the First Amendment.

The classifieds site Geebo.com is shuttering its personals section as a "socially responsible" measure, the company announced over the weekend.

"While our clean, useful dating section has been problem-free, we have taken notice of our competitor's increasing problems related to alleged illegal activity and human rights violations in recent months," said Geebo chief executive Greg Collier.

The House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee will address sex trafficking, including the Internet dimension of the problem, at a hearing Wednesday. Craigslist has been criticized by lawmakers and attorneys general for failing to crack down on prostitution and child trafficking facilitated by its website.

Craigslist shut down its "adult services" section but has not said if the change is permanent. Craigslist defenders say it doing its best and it would be impossible for the company to police its boards in a perfect way. 

President Obama will meet with members of Northern Virginia's technology community Monday as part of an event to discuss the state of the economy with small-business owners

Obama is planning to host a backyard discussion with neighbors and small-business owners on the economy at the home of John Nicholas and Nicole Armstrong in Fairfax, Va. About 30 people are expected to attend, including Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.). Nicholas has worked for a global services technology firm since 1999, surviving several rounds of layoffs.

Also in attendance will be Larry Poltavtsev, chief executive of Target Labs, a technology-solutions firm located in Vienna, Va. Target Labs employs 51 people, 11 of whom were hired last year and 12 who have been added since July as a result of a loan backed by the Small Business Administration. Target Labs is hiring for five positions and hopes to add 15 more by the end of year, provided the firm has access to the needed capital.

Northern Virginia is home to a quickly growing technology industry, partly due to the proliferation of federal IT contractors in the state. The event is part of an ongoing effort by the Obama administration to frame the Recovery Act as a success; Obama is expected to highlight several stimulus investments in Northern Virginia as part of the event.

Another top executive at Nokia announced he would be leaving after the Finnish mobile phone maker announced last week Microsoft's Stephen Elop will be taking over as chief executive.

Anssi Vanjoki, the head of Nokia's mobile solutions business, announced his resignation from the company on Monday. Vanjoki had previously been seen as a potential successor to outgoing CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who will be replaced by Elop on Sept. 21. Elop, a Canadian citizen, will be the company's first non-Finnish CEO.

Vanjoki will remain with Nokia for six months. He has drawn criticism as Nokia lost ground to rivals such as Apple and phones powered by Google's Android operating system in the market for high-end smartphones. Nokia has also pledged to make North America a priority, as it is currently the company's worst performer.

Hewlett-Packard has agreed to purchase the software security firm ArcSight for $1.5 billion in cash, the firm announced Monday.

The move, which was reported over the weekend, comes on the heel's of HP's recent victory in a bidding war against rival Dell for the cloud-security firm 3PAR. Together, the acquisitions signal a serious push from the world's largest PC manufacturer into the rapidly growing market for cloud-based storage services.

“From a security perspective, the perimeter of today’s enterprise is porous, putting enormous pressure on clients’ risk and compliance systems,” said Bill Veghte, executive vice president of software and solutions at HP. “The combination of HP and ArcSight will provide clients with the ability to fortify their applications, proactively monitor events and respond to threats.”

HP hopes the acquisition will provide enhanced security for customers at a lower price point. ArcSight's technology is expected to increase the visibility of customer networks, enhance continuity and enable real-time monitoring of cyber threats.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's "third way" plan is not the middle ground it is portrayed to be, according to an opinion piece released on Monday by a former FCC commissioner.

"If this new middle way seems moderate, that appearance is an illusion," writes Glen Robinson, a member of the board of academic advisers at the free-market think tank the Free State Foundation. Robinson served as a commissioner in the '70s.

Under the "third way" plan, the FCC would seek more power to police broadband service providers and enforce net-neutrality rules. To do that, it would place broadband services under telephone regulations.

Good morning!

TOP CHATTER: Who will chair House Energy & Commerce?

In what may or may not constitute an unhatched-chicken count — depending who you talk to — Republicans are starting to handicap who might chair the Energy and Commerce Committee if the GOP wins a House majority in November. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), currently the ranking member, will be termed out of his committee leadership role this year in accordance with GOP rules, but could opt to seek a party waiver.

Former Republican staffers said they see a several people as lead contenders if Barton does not pursue that option. One is Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), ranking member of the committee's Energy and Environment subpanel, and one of the committee's most-senior members. Another is Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the ranking member of the House Communications Subcommittee. Upton is the more-senior member and has raised more money for GOP causes than Stearns, both general factors in how leadership chooses committee chairmen. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, is also mentioned as a contender for the top spot.

Of special consideration this year, according to former staffers: Does the member have conservative cred? Leaders may want a staunch Republican, and no fuzzy centrist, in the position in order to make the committee a conservative bastion that will fight back against Democratic initiatives such as the healthcare law. Of the three members named above, Upton is the one most frequently honored or afflicted with the designation "moderate."

A steering committee of top Republicans vote on the choice, and House Republican leader John Boehner (Ohio) gets the most votes.

THIS WEEK: Public advocates to stage net-neutrality push

After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) delayed its net-neutrality rule-making process for nearly two months, the intermission is quickly filling with strong condemnations, firm recommendations and other impassioned message-making tacks. (Note that Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry called on all parties to "take a deep breath" when the delay was announced — that does not look likely.)

Broadband providers said they will send more than 15 chief executives to Capitol Hill this week to lobby against such rules and against proposals to increase FCC authority.

Not to be outdone, ardent net-neutrality proponents at Free Press are looking for their own way to get a word in. Josh Levy, online campaign manager for Free Press, said last week that the group is planning a "huge push" on the issue, but kept the details close to the vest.

One part is clear: The group hopes to tap the persuasive powers of the small and silver screens. Free Press has been using Twitter to reach out to entertainers to see if it can add some Hollywood glamour to issues that are decidedly sheenless, including network management and FCC authority. Targets have ranged from Sarah Silverman to William Shatner to Ellen DeGeneres.

SCOOP: Former FCC Commissioner Glen Robinson will release a paper Monday arguing against Chairman Julius Genachowski's "third way" proposal, which could give the agency more power to regulate broadband service providers and could shore up its authority to enforce net-neutrality rules. "If this new middle way seems moderate, that appearance is an illusion," Robinson writes. More here. Robinson is now on the board of academic advisers at the Free State Foundation, a free-market think tank.

Executive notes

FCC's plan for "white spaces" could mean big leap forward. The technology community is hopeful that Genachowski's plan to release unused TV channels or "white spaces" could lead to a wave of innovation on everything from home appliances to wireless broadband access, the Washington Post reports. A similar release of airwaves two decades ago spawned a leap forward in short-wave radio technology, but some tech companies are still hoping for greater access to the unused waves than is currently laid out in the FCC's plan. http://bit.ly/9Dtr7m

Cardozo Law School professor Susan Crawford, who was a telecom adviser to the Obama administration, said she feels for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski as he tries to set policies opposed by major corporate interests.

"The asymmetry is just so apparent," she said. "Companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, and the National Cable Association have never fired a lobbyist in recent years. They keep them all on. They are able to be very persuasive with arguments, with contributions, with lining up economists in ways that aren't met by any other effective arguments. So, I'm sympathetic."

In an interview with Nancy Scola, published this week in the American Prospect, Crawford said consumer activists such as Free Press do not have enough money to match those companies' influence.