Google closed in China

Google decided to close its Internet search engine in China on Monday.  Chinese Google users will now be directed to the uncensored Hong Kong version of the site which may get blocked on the mainland.

According to the New York Times, Google is turning its back on the world's largest Internet market of 400 million web users.  Google plans on maintaining its China sales department and research and development team.

Google brought the company to China to help bring more information to Chinese citizens and loosen government censorship.  This has not been the result.  In the past few years, the Chinese government has increased Internet censorship and has blocked sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Shutting down the Google in China is expected to have little financial impact on the company.

Budget Plan passed in New York 

The New York Senate passed a budget plan that would reduce spending by $ 4 billion on Monday.  The $136 billion plan rejected new taxes on soda and cigarettes. 

The plan maintains many of Governor David Paterson's cuts to state agency budgets.  It would close three prisons instead of four, cut Medicaid spending and keep state parks and historical sites open.

According to the Post-Standard, the spending plan would close the $9.2 billion budget deficit  for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Change in NFL overtime rule

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell supports the proposed change to the overtime rule in the playoffs.  The competition committee suggested that a team that loses the coin toss and gives up a field goal on the first possession should have its own series in overtime.

This proposal only concerns the playoffs for reasons of player safety said Indianapolis Colts President and committee member Bill Polian. 

According to CBS Sports, statistics show that since 1994 teams winning the overtime coin toss win the game 59.8 percent of the time. 

"We felt the stats are so arresting that something needs to be done," Polian said.

The proposal will need 24 votes out of the 32 owners to be passed.