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

Daily Archives: November 29, 2007

Twelve States Sue EPA Over Regs Denying Public Access to Toxic Chemicals Database

Press release: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York and eleven other states are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over new regulations denying the public access to information about toxic chemicals in their communities. The EPA will allow thousands of companies to avoid disclosing information to the public about the toxic chemicals they use, store, and release into the environment by rolling back chemical reporting requirements. The suit seeks to overturn the weakened reporting requirements and provide the public with the access they had in the past.”

  • Related postings on EPA’s efforts to limit public access to pollution release inventory
  • New Improved Version of FedSpending.org Released

    “To celebrate the one-year anniversary of FedSpending.org, OMB Watch Nov. 29 released a new and improved version of the website. The new version includes a complete FY 2006 data set for both contracts and federal assistance spending. The upgraded site also incorporates major functionality improvements, including the addition of a mapping feature on all searches,… Continue Reading

    New GAO Report: Federal Efforts Are Helping to Alleviate Some Challenges Encountered by State and Local Information Fusion Centers

    Homeland Security: Federal Efforts Are Helping to Alleviate Some Challenges Encountered by State and Local Information Fusion Centers, GAO-08-35, October 30, 2007: “Most states and many local governments have established fusion centers to address gaps in information sharing. Fusion centers across the country vary in their stages of development–from operational to early in the planning… Continue Reading

    Agencies to Issue Proposed Rules and Guidelines that Address Accuracy and Integrity of Consumer Report Information and Rules to Allow Direct Disputes

    Press release: “The Federal Trade Commission and the federal financial regulatory agencies (the Agencies) have approved proposed regulations and guidelines to help ensure the accuracy and integrity of information provided to consumer reporting agencies and to allow consumers to directly dispute inaccuracies with financial institutions and other entities that furnish information to consumer reporting agencies.… Continue Reading

    Leahy Takes Next Step On White House Subpoenas, Directing Compliance By Current And Former White House Officials

    Follow up on previous postings on U.S. Attorney firings, today’s press release: “Taking the next step to enforce subpoenas that the White House has refused to heed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday ruled that White House claims of executive privilege and immunity in the Senate’s investigation of the mass firings of U.S.… Continue Reading

    Annual McAfee Virtual Criminology Report

    McAfee Virtual Criminology Report – Cybercrime: The Next Wave – The annual McAfee global cyber trends study into organized crime and the Internet in collaboration with leading international security experts, November 2007. “For this report we consulted with more than a dozen security specialists at top institutions such as NATO, the FBI, SOCA, the Center… Continue Reading

    Automated Content Access Protocol Launched

    Press release: “The new, non-proprietary, open standard, ACAP (Automated Content Access Protocol), is set to put an end to publisher-search engine legal clashes was unveiled and showcased in New York today, 29 November 2007 at a conference opened by World Association of Newspapers President, Gavin O’Reilly and addressed by keynote speaker AP CEO Tom Curley.… Continue Reading

    United Nations Arms Embargoes: Their Impact on Arms Flows and Target Behaviour

    United Nations Arms Embargoes: Their Impact on Arms Flows and Target Behaviour, A Report by SIPRI and the Uppsala University Special Program on the Implementation of Targeted Sanctions. ISBN 978-91-85114-56-6. Executive Summary. This report is the first analysis of the 27 United Nations arms embargoes that have been imposed since 1990. UN arms embargoes have… Continue Reading