Pew Trusts: “Librarians and their legislative allies are pushing publishers of electronic books to lower their prices and relax licensing terms, an effort that could make it easier for millions of library users to borrow the increasingly popular digital versions of books. Supporters say the e-book lending legislation in several states would allow libraries to… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Economy
The Elder Index
“The Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index), was developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The Elder Index is a measure of the income that older adults need to meet their basic needs and age in place with dignity. The Elder Index is specific to household size, location, housing tenure,… Continue Reading
U.S. bank regulator warns of crisis risk from fintech proliferation
Reuters: “The rise of fintech services and digital banking could spur financial risks and potentially a crisis over the long term, Michael Hsu, Acting Comptroller of the Currency, a major U.S. bank regulator, warned on Wednesday. “I believe fintechs and big techs are having a large impact and warrant much more of our attention,” Hsu… Continue Reading
Politics Americans are terrible at taking vacations
Grid – Why are U.S. workers so bad at taking time off? – The United States still has no federal paid vacation policy, making it one of only a handful of countries without guaranteed paid annual leave. Canada and Japan are also among the countries with the least paid annual leave, the report said, at… Continue Reading
Another Step Toward Better Broadband Maps
FCC: “On June 30, the Federal Communications Commission opened the first ever window to collect information from broadband providers in every state and territory about precisely where they provide broadband services. I announced the opening of the window with a Note to put this milestone in context and to explain in detail the Commission’s work… Continue Reading
The Rise of the Worker Productivity Score
The New York Times:”…Architects, academic administrators, doctors, nursing home workers and lawyers described growing electronic surveillance over every minute of their workday. They echoed complaints that employees in many lower-paid positions have voiced for years: that their jobs are relentless, that they don’t have control — and in some cases, that they don’t even have… Continue Reading
Climate Change Remains Top Global Threat Across 19-Country Survey
Pew – Concerns about climate, misinformation and cyberattacks predominate across 19 countries, but people are also concerned about the global economy and spread of infectious diseases. “With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, a hot war between Russia and Ukraine ongoing, inflation rates rising globally and heat records being smashed across parts of the world, countries… Continue Reading
Project Drawdown: The World’s Leading Climate Solutions Database Is Growing
Earth.org: “Founded in 2014 by Author and Entrepreneur Paul Hawken in collaboration with over 200 researchers, Project Drawdown is one of the most influential research-backed databases of climate solutions on the planet. The project’s mission is to help the world reach ‘drawdown’ – the point in time where levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere… Continue Reading
The US government just teased its instant payment system for 2023
Popular Science: “The Federal Reserve announced earlier this week it expects its FedNow Service, a new online system facilitating instant, digital monetary transactions between people and businesses, to come online sometime between May and July 2023. The release could mark a major moment within the financial sector as it, hypothetically, could drastically undercut the need… Continue Reading
Climate Change Remains Top Global Threat Across 19-Country Survey
“With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, a hot war between Russia and Ukraine ongoing, inflation rates rising globally and heat records being smashed across parts of the world, countries are facing a wide variety of challenges in 2022. Among the many threats facing the globe, climate change stands out as an especially strong concern among… Continue Reading
As Colorado River Dries, the U.S. Teeters on the Brink of Larger Water Crisis
Pro Publica: “The western United States is, famously, in the grips of its worst megadrought in a millennium. The Colorado River, which supplies water to more than 40 million Americans and supports food production for the rest of the country, is in imminent peril. The levels in the nation’s largest freshwater reservoir, Lake Mead, behind… Continue Reading
America’s billionaires are twice as rich as previously estimated
Quartz: “The stratospheric wealth of the top 0.1% in the US is hard to conceptualize but a new paper (pdf) from the National Bureau of Economic Research thinks the total share held by the super wealthy is likely much higher than previously estimated. The authors Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman analyzed the work of a… Continue Reading
