“Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the release of two new reports: the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries and the 2015 Fisheries Economics of the United States Report. These reports highlight the continued rebuilding and recovery of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S.… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2017
GAO – Internet of Things: Status and implications of an increasingly connected world
Technology Assessment: Internet of Things: Status and implications of an increasingly connected world, GAO-17-75: Published: May 15, 2017. Publicly Released: May 15, 2017. “The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the technologies and devices that sense information and communicate it to the Internet or other networks and, in some cases, act on that information. These… Continue Reading
FTC updates consumers on ransomware
You’ve probably heard about the ransomware attack affecting organizations’ computer systems around the world. It seems to affect server software on organizations’ networked computers. But ransomware can attack anybody’s computer, so now is a good time to update your own operating system and other software. And then keep them up-to-date. The ransomware in the news… Continue Reading
Syria executing up to 50 “prisoners” each day using crematorium
The Washington Post – “At least 50 prisoners a day are being executed at the notorious Sednaya military prison outside Damascus, State Department officials said. Russia and Iran were accused of complicity in “atrocities.” The United States released aerial photos of the facility and said the information came from “intelligence assessments” and human rights groups.”… Continue Reading
WaPo Breaks News – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats
The Washington Post – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats – “The president’s disclosures to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in their Oval Office meeting last week jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State — an information-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and… Continue Reading
FAA Publishes First Set of UAS Facility Maps
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today published more than 200 facility maps to streamline the commercial drone authorization process. The maps depict areas and altitudes near airports where UAS may operate safely. But drone operators still need FAA authorization to fly in those areas. This marks a key first step as the FAA and industry… Continue Reading
Despite Hiring, Immigration Court Backlog and Wait Times Climb
“During the past 18 months, a total of 79 new judges have been appointed to the Immigration Court. Despite this spurt in hiring, it has not made a dent in the court’s mountainous backlog. Instead, the backlog along with wait times have steadily increased. As of the end of April 2017, the number of cases… Continue Reading
Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections
NRDC: “America has a drinking water crisis. An NRDC study has found that contaminants that may harm human health are found in tap water in every state in the nation. Established in 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act is one of our bedrock environmental laws, consisting of rules that regulate about 100 contaminants found in… Continue Reading
Freedom of the Press 2017 – Press Freedom’s Dark Horizon
Key Global Findings 2017 “Global press freedom declined to its lowest point in 13 years in 2016 amid unprecedented threats to journalists and media outlets in major democracies and new moves by authoritarian states to control the media, including beyond their borders. Only 13 percent of the world’s population enjoys a Free press—that is, a… Continue Reading
Global Open Data Index 2016/2017
The Global Open Data Index 2016/2017 – Advancing the State of Open Data Through Dialogue – “The Global Open Data Index (GODI) is the annual global benchmark for publication of open government data, run by the Open Knowledge Network. Our crowdsourced survey measures the openness of government data according to the Open Definition. By having… Continue Reading
Trends in Prevailing Wage Laws, 2017
Council of State Governments: “Prevailing wage laws are laws created by state governments or local municipalities to set a rate of pay that is thought to be standard for a labor group contracted to do public-sector projects in that area. The standard rate of pay is oftentimes determined by analyzing local wage data and identifying… Continue Reading
NYT – With New Digital Tools, Even Nonexperts Can Wage Cyberattacks
The New York Times: “The ransomware tactic behind a global cyberattack on Friday was nothing new. But new digital tools mean that hackers “don’t even need to have any skills to do this anymore.” Attack May Worsen Monday, It Is Feared – “The effects of Friday’s attack could be magnified as workers return to their… Continue Reading
