Good morning tech

WHO, WHERE

JAMES CICCONI, MEREDITH ATTWELL BAKER, ED LAZARUS, REY RAMSEY, HAROLD FELD and RICHARD WILEY will be at the Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row THURSDAY for a summit on broadband. 

Visiting from San Francisco, CRAIG NEWMARK was at the Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday. 

NEW THIS MORNING

FACEBOOK TEAMS WITH PTA: Facebook has teamed up with the National PTA in a campaign to make the Internet safer for kids, the company announced Thursday. “The National PTA will reach out to its 24,000 local PTAs across the country with a goal of reaching every American public school. Facebook will raise awareness through an in-kind commitment equivalent to $1 million and promotion of material on other parts of the site, including its recently revamped Safety Center.” 

CAN’T-MISS NEWS

Industry effort takes on network management disputes: In the most significant move to date toward creating industry-wide practices for engineering the Internet, major service providers and Internet companies launched a group Wednesday to tackle technical problems. The group comes as an effort by companies on both sides of the net neutrality divide, including network owners such as Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner as well as Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft. Public Knowledge and the Open Internet Coalition said that despite the development, there is still a need for government-issued rules.

Committee passes bill aimed at curbing driving distracted by phones and texting: The Senate Commerce Committee approved a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would encourage states to prohibit drivers from talking on their cell phones or text messaging while driving. The Distracted Driver Prevention Act of 2010, sponsored by chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and ranking member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), would offer grants to states that enact laws to combat distracted driving. The bill will now be sent to the full Senate for a vote.

Issa want answers on White House e-mail flap: The ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee wants the White House to more fully explain actions taken against Andrew McLaughlin, the White House official reprimanded for consulting with his former colleagues at Google about policy issues via e-mail. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Wednesday sent a letter to White House Counsel Bob Bauer voicing concerns that McLaughlin had escaped adequate punishment for allegedly violating the Presidential Records Act.

NUMBER PUNCH

71…The percentage of dads (compared to 63 percent of moms) who say they are taking at least one action to help manage their children’s online behavior, “including having conversations about respecting the privacy of others and checking their children’s privacy settings,” according to a new Yahoo survey. 

SCHEDULED

…10 a.m. House Research and Science Education Subcommittee hearing on improving technology transfer. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.

…10 a.m. House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee hearing on the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. 

FOR THE WATERCOOLER

MIC MISTAKE: Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, fresh off her win on Tuesday to become the GOP candidate challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), was overheard commenting on Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO who also won her race on Tuesday to become the GOP gubernatorial nominee in California. The New York Daily News says Fiorina questioned Whitman’s choice to sit for an interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity. “I find it really surprising,” she said. “I think it’s bizarre. … I think it’s a very bad choice, actually. You know how he is. Sean Hannity is not an easy interview.” She reportedly did not know her mic was on.