Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services, September 2024. In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued 6(b) Orders to nine of the largest social media and video streaming services—Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snap, ByteDance, Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp (“Companies”). At the time, a bipartisan group of Commissioners issued a joint… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Government Documents
The Navy’s Amphibious Fleet Is In Really Bad Shape
Via The Warzone – Per new GAO report – https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-106728 – Navy’s amphibious fleet is in such a sorry state that half of the ships are declared to be in “poor condition” and not on track to serve for the entirety of their service lives. In addition, the sea service will struggle to maintain a… Continue Reading
FBI releases PSA warning about all the ways that cybercriminials are using AI to commit fraud
Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud – The FBI is warning the public that criminals exploit generative artificial intelligence (AI) to commit fraud on a larger scale which increases the believability of their schemes. Generative AI reduces the time and effort criminals must expend to deceive their targets. Generative AI takes what… Continue Reading
Book Review – Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government
Via LLRX – Book Review – Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government – The 2024 election results have prompted discussion about the effectiveness of “guardrails” that might restrain Presidential activities that could harm the nation. Jerry Lawson’s review notes that Glenn Fine’s new book, Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle of… Continue Reading
Why does the Senate confirm Trump’s picks for key posts and how?
Via LLRX – Why does the Senate confirm Trump’s picks for key posts — and how? – Legal scholar Jennifer L. Selin explains the confirmation process and the ‘constitutional loophole’ of recess appointments. Continue Reading
Inside the Massive U.S. ‘Border Zone’
Bloomberg [May 14, 2018 article worth revisiting now] All of Michigan, D.C., and a large chunk of Pennsylvania are part of the area where Border Patrol has expanded search and seizure rights. Here’s what it means to live or travel there…the border zone is home to 65.3 percent of the entire U.S. population, and around… Continue Reading
The intensifying threat of Donald Trump’s emolument
CREW: Donald Trump will violate the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses if he serves as president and fails to divest from his businesses. Likely sources of his illegal emoluments would include, but not be limited to: Truth Social parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group Trump World Tower Saudi-funded LIV Golf league and Real estate… Continue Reading
End of Trump Cases Leaves Limits on Presidential Criminality Unclear
The New York Times [free to read]: “The end of the two federal criminal cases against President-elect Donald J. Trump on Monday left momentous, unsettled questions about constraints on criminal wrongdoing by presidents, from the scope of presidential immunity to whether the Justice Department may continue to appoint outside special counsels to investigate high-level wrongdoing.… Continue Reading
The New Administration: A Boon for Investigative Journalism
Via LLRX – The New Administration: A Boon for Investigative Journalism – This commentary by Michael Ravnitzky highlights the critical period ahead for investigative journalism under the new presidential administration. Controversial stances and policy shifts will provide many more opportunities than usual for journalists to uncover and report on critical issues, ensuring that the administration’s… Continue Reading
527 Explorer
ProPublica 527 Explorer – “Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars flow through political organizations known as 527s. These organizations are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission and are not subject to FEC-style restrictions on who can contribute or how much they can give, though donations are not tax deductible. These groups are spending… Continue Reading
A Timeless Guide to Subverting Any Organization with “Purposeful Stupidity”
Open Culture – Discover the CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual: A Timeless Guide to Subverting Any Organization with “Purposeful Stupidity” (1944): “…Now declassified and freely available on the CIA website, the manual that the agency describes as “surprisingly relevant” was once distributed to OSS officers abroad to assist them in training “citizen-saboteurs” in occupied countries… Continue Reading
The stunning success of vaccines in America, in one chart
Vox – “Measles, mumps, and polio are supposed to be diseases of the past. In the early to mid-20th century, scientists developed vaccines that effectively eliminated the risk of anyone getting sick or dying from illnesses that had killed millions over millennia of human history. Vaccines, alongside sanitized water and antibiotics, have marked the epoch… Continue Reading
