Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: November 2, 2022

First Street Foundation Partners with Fannie Mae to Deliver Climate Risk Insights

“Today, science and technology nonprofit First Street Foundation announced that Fannie Mae will use their high resolution, property parcel level, climate adjusted risk data to run internal research related to physical climate change impacts to the mortgage market. The data enables Fannie Mae to engage in highly granular analysis of property risk exposure to perils like flooding and wildfire to learn how it manifests today, and how it may grow and change over time due to a changing climate. Fannie Mae’s acquisition includes all of the Foundation’s current and future climate risk data, as well as access to its forthcoming Risk Factor Pro product, geared to real estate and financial professionals interested in in-depth analysis of climate risk in the housing market.  “Fannie Mae plays an absolutely vital role in stabilizing the housing market and ensuring that the dream of home ownership is as widely, and sustainably available as possible,” said Matthew Eby, CEO of First Street Foundation. “Increasingly, maintaining financial stability and engaging in in-depth portfolio analysis  is going to require having access to high resolution, climate risk intelligence, as a changing climate continues to threaten homes, office buildings, and other real estate across the country.” First Street Foundation’s climate risk data will offer insights into the assessment of mitigating actions against the potential impact of climate perils on homeowners and renters across the country to support Fannie Mae in its mission to provide stability and long-term sustainability for the housing market…”

How to Inoculate against Midterm Misinformation Campaigns

Scientific American: “A New York University professor advocates “prebunking”—sounding the alarm before a conspiracy theory spreads too widely.“We the People,” as we self-identify in the preamble to the Constitution, are more polarized than ever in these ostensibly United States. When it is misinformation that fosters this polarization, all eyes immediately turn to social media. Research… Continue Reading

Microsoft President Wants More Training for Workers to Fight Climate Change

Bloomberg via Yahoo – “Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith is calling for companies, schools and governments to dramatically increase training workers for new and redesigned roles tackling the climate crisis. The software giant, which has pledged to remove more carbon than it emits by 2030, says the lack of skills in areas like carbon accounting,… Continue Reading

Wharton, Berkeley, NYU Offering Online M.B.A.s for the First Time

WSJ: “Starting next year, executive M.B.A. students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania can earn the $223,500 degree from their living rooms.  After years of resistance, some of the country’s top business schools are starting virtual M.B.A. programs that require only a few days of in-person instruction. Wharton and Georgetown University’s McDonough… Continue Reading

Net Zero and Beyond: A Deep-dive on Climate Leaders and What’s Driving Them

South Pole’s 2022 net zero report took a closer look at over 1,200 private companies across 12 countries and 15 sectors with a sustainability or corporate social responsibility lead to get an indication of how some of the more climate-aware companies in the market are progressing (or not) on their net zero journey today. Among… Continue Reading

Online Consumer Data Collection

CRS Report – Online Consumer Data Collection, October 31, 2022 – “Large amounts of consumer data can be collected, processed, and analyzedby operators of websites and mobile applications (apps) and third parties, which are entities otherthan the website or appprimary operator (e.g., data brokers). Operators collect data for multiple purposes, including providing services, selling user… Continue Reading

2022 National Defense Strategy

U.S. Department of Defense, 2022 National Defense Strategy – Introduction: “For more than seven decades, the vision and leadership of the United States have undergirded international peace and prosperity. A strong, principled, and adaptive U.S. military is a central pillar for U.S. leadership, particularly in the face of challenges arising from dramatic geopolitical, technological, economic,… Continue Reading

Trump lawyers saw Clarence Thomas as key to stop Biden electoral count

Washington Post: “Lawyers for President Donald Trump saw Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as key to overturning the results of the 2020 election, according to a set of emails provided to congressional investigators. Eight emails, ordered released by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter of California, include correspondence between Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro, John Eastman… Continue Reading