Is USF order coming down the pike? - Spectrum and the supercommittee: The latest - Lungren wants hearing on SOPA’s cyber impact - Crowdfunding gains traction, critics

With help from Jen Martinez, Michelle Quinn and Kim Hart

BUZZ: USF ORDER OUT TODAY? — That’s the rumor from a couple of FCC staffers close to the editing process: There’s an internal push to get the 500-page USF/ICC order out the door today. Of course, last-minute edits and formatting issues could further delay the release of the order, which the telecom industry has been awaiting since the FCC’s vote on the measure three weeks ago. Still, we’ll have an eye out for it; stay tuned.

SPECTRUM AND THE SUPERCOMMITTEE: WILL IT HAPPEN? — Lawmakers and lobbyists told your MT-er they’re growing skeptical. Rep. Anna Eshoo says she has “never been confident” in the supercommittee’s ability to tackle the issue. Sen. Jay Rockefeller says he hasn’t heard much about the panel’s work on spectrum. Rep. Lee Terry also says he’s in the dark, and Rep. Henry Waxman isn’t even sure the 12-member group can negotiate a deficit package, let alone figure out spectrum. More, for Pros, on the behind-the-scenes talks: http://politico.pro/uC4qnl

TODAY ON POLITICO PRO:

--NEW PIPA HOLD THREATS: Sens. Maria Cantwell, Rand Paul and Jerry Moran are joining Sen. Ron Wyden in blocking the PROTECT IP Act. Jen Martinez has the story: http://politico.pro/vwSf9P

--THE CROWDFUNDING CRAZE: It’s gaining momentum, but also new scrutiny, reports Michelle Quinn: http://politico.pro/tXVIVr

--INDUSTRY GROUP PLACES BET: The American Gaming Association is all in on online gambling, and David Saleh Rauf reports on how and why: http://politico.pro/tXkDI7

--AND: TRIBES SEE THREAT:
David also recaps yesterday’s hearing on online gambling before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee: http://politico.pro/t82UJJ

LUNGREN WANTS HEARING ON SOPA’S CYBER IMPACT — House cybersecurity subcommittee Chairman Dan Lungren has “very serious concerns” about SOPA’s impact on the Internet security protocol, DNSSEC, and told MT that “if there’s anything that will jeopardize that, frankly we’ve got to find another solution.” Based on his conversations with other members, he said he believes the concerns aired at Wednesday’s hearing about SOPA potentially disrupting the cybersecurity of the Internet have “slowed down the schedule for consideration” of the bill.

Lungren added that there “ought to be a hearing” about the DNSSEC issues and hopes that Judiciary and other committees of jurisdiction will be able to resolve them. “My position on the bill now is we don’t have enough information, and if this is a serious problem as was suggested by some of the technical experts that got in touch with me, we have to address it,” Lungren added. “I can’t afford to let that go by without dealing with it.”

Happy Friday, time for your Morning Tech — where we can now report that even the tech community is grappling with its own “Occupy” movement (of sorts). It’s called Occupy Flash, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect: A group of techies who want to see the end of Adobe Flash. More here, via ComputerWorld: http://bit.ly/vXYf1i

Occupy our inboxes by sending comments, tips, suggestions and more to [email protected], or @ tonyromm. And find contact info for the crew below today’s Speed Read.

ICYMI: MINIBUS CLEARS CONGRESS — A spending plan that would boost NIST and NOAA funding and cut OSTP’s budget cleared the House and Senate late Thursday. A bipartisan 298-121 vote passed the measure out of the lower chamber, and the Senate subsequently followed suit, with a vote of 70-30, later in the evening. The full story, via POLITICO’s David Rogers: http://politi.co/sORA9I

ONLINE GAMBLING, ROUND II — A day after the top Senate panel on Indian affairs held a hearing, the commerce subcommittee led by Rep. Mary Bono Mack is taking its own look at online gaming. Expect today’s session to focus on regulation: The first panel consists of lawmakers who play key roles in the online gaming debate, and the second consists partly of state regulators who have grappled with those issues. The hearing kicks off at 9 a.m. GOP background memo: http://bit.ly/v8KE0t ... Witness testimony: http://1.usa.gov/vPUWjV

** A message from the U.S. Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center: More than 19 million American jobs in IP-intensive industries are threatened by online criminals using rogue websites. Rogue sites legislation is needed to save jobs, protect consumers, and strengthen the Internet. Learn more at www.fightonlinetheft.com. **

LAWMAKERS: MEASURE CHINA’S TRADE OPENNESS — The Obama administration needs to come up with “meaningful metrics and benchmarks” for measuring progress with China in terms of opening its markets to U.S. businesses, wrote Rep. Dave Camp, chief of Ways and Means, along with the rest of the panel in a letter sent Thursday to USTR Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary John Bryson.

The letter, sent in advance of the meeting starting Sunday of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, notes that last year China agreed to make changes to improve software procurement and reduce piracy. “One year later, full implementation has not occurred, and we understand that U.S. companies have not seen a meaningful increase in the market share held by legitimate software, as would be expected from these commitments,” according to the letter. Check it out in full here: http://politico.pro/tqZIIf

FOR CANDIDATES, SMALL-BUSINESS EXECUTIVES ARE UP FOR GRABS — Nearly 40 percent of small-business executives characterize themselves as political independents or undecided, according to a new survey by Bizo, a firm that helps marketers target online business audiences, and Vizu, a brand advertising technology company. The two companies recently queried 890 business executives at small and large companies.

The survey found that big business executives appear to be evenly divided between the parties — 33.8 percent claim to be Democrats, while 35 percent say they are Republicans. And fundraisers take note: Small-business executives are 26.6 percent more likely to donate to political causes than executives at large companies. “It is going to be incumbent on a successful candidate to treat online advertising as more mainstream then in years past,” said David Karel, vice president of marketing at Bizo. “The successful political candidates can now get in front of precise audiences that are most ripe for delivering the votes and donations they are after.”

LOBBYING BYTE: ANOTHER LIGHTSQUARED PICKUP — Kirkland & Ellis is just the latest new outside hire for LightSquared as it deals with scrutiny here in Washington. (For those keeping count, that marks the 10th outside hire for the broadband company this year.) With the new firm, LightSquared gains the help of Brian A. Benczkowski, whose résumé includes stints with the House and Senate Judiciary committees, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s office and the DOJ.

ALSO TODAY: RULES OF CONDUCT IN CYBERWAR — Lt. Colonel Pete Hayden and Col. Gary Brown will be at the law school at the University of California-Berkeley today discussing “how cyber warfare might require new rules, or new interpretations of rules, regarding the conduct of hostilities, or the jus in bello, once armed conflict has begun,” per an invite. More here: http://bit.ly/tJmcb4

SPEED READ, by David Saleh Rauf:

PANDORA GOES POLITICAL: The online music streaming site will unveil Friday a new targeted ad product aimed at political candidates and special interest groups, the WSJ reports. http://on.wsj.com/ta4j4r

NASDAQ HACK: The FBI’s probe into last year’s cyberattack on Nasdaq found surprisingly lax security practices that made the exchange operator an easy target for hackers, Reuters reports. http://reut.rs/vRaU3a

ESHOO ON D-BLOCK: The California Dem writes in the San Jose Merc about the importance of a new network for first responders. http://bit.ly/vmUbfd

MOVE OVER ANGRY BIRDS: Walt Disney’s mobile game that features an alligator and requires users to collect rubber duckies has displaced Angry Birds as the top paid app at Apple’s app store for three weeks running, according to Bloomberg. http://bloom.bg/sN3M6S

AMAZON PLANNING iPHONE RIVAL? Analysts say the online retailer may be readying to release a smartphone of its own by next holiday season, USA Today reports. http://usat.ly/uwLVsE

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT TEAM: The U.S. military is using a team of native speakers of shared language across the Muslim countries of the former Soviet states of Central Asia to scan news reports, blogs, social media and online essays to identify misinformation being spread about the U.S., the NYT reports. http://nyti.ms/vbWq0Z

YELP FILES FOR IPO: The review website Thursday filed to raise as much as $100 million in an initial public offering, the San Francisco Chron reports. http://bit.ly/v2K7tU

[Tips, comments, suggestions? Send them along via email to our team: Tony Romm ([email protected], @tonyromm), Kim Hart ([email protected], @khart), Jen Martinez ([email protected], @jenmartinez), Eliza Krigman ([email protected], @ekspectacular), Elizabeth Wasserman ([email protected], @elizwasserman), Brooks Boliek ([email protected], @technocowboy) Mike Zapler ([email protected], @mikezapler), Michelle Quinn ([email protected], @MichelleQuinn) and David Saleh Rauf ([email protected], @davidrauf).]

** A message from the U.S. Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center: Rogue sites — those selling dangerously defective counterfeit goods or pirating content — get over 53 BILLION visits every year. We must act now to disrupt rogue sites’ business model and their access to the U.S. market. These sites threaten American jobs, endanger consumers’ health and safety, and undermine the security of the Internet. We must take action against rogue sites NOW to safeguard our economy, protect consumers, and ensure a vibrant Internet marketplace. More than 350 businesses, trade associations, and professional groups in over 75 sectors of the economy, 43 state attorneys general, numerous other state and local officials, and organized labor groups agree. Tell Congress to protect American jobs today by enacting rogue sites legislation. Learn more at www.fightonlinetheft.com. **