“The ABA has assembled a collection of legal resources relevant to the Haiti earthquake at http://www.abanet.org/disaster/haiti.html for use by bar associations, lawyers and programs assisting those in need. The web portal, which the North Carolina Bar Association named its Web Site of the Week, provides links and information on temporary protected status for Haitian nationals… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2010
EPIC Urges FTC to Protect Users' Privacy On Cloud Computing and Social Networking Services
“EPIC submitted comments to the FTC prior to the agencys second privacy roundtable. EPIC warned of the ongoing privacy risks associated with cloud computing and social networking privacy, highlighting the Google cloud computing complaint and Facebook privacy complaint filed by EPIC in 2009. The comments note that the FTC has failed to take any meaningful… Continue Reading
Columbia Journalism Review Reports on Decrease Numbers Among News Librarians
Endangered Species – News librarians are a dying breed [Preface – I certainly hope not, having been one and respecting the profession immensely]: “According to data collected by Michelle Quigley, a researcher at the Palm Beach Post, over 250 news librarians (sometimes called news researchers) lost their jobs in the U.S. since 2007. Membership in… Continue Reading
Pace of U.S. War on AIDS Slows Dramatically
WSJ: “Seven years after the U.S. launched its widely hailed program to fight AIDS in the developing world, the battle is reaching a critical turning point. The growth in U.S. funding, which underwrites nearly half the world’s AIDS relief, has slowed dramatically. At the same time, the number of people requiring treatment has skyrocketed…Some 33.… Continue Reading
SIGIR Audit: Iraq Reconstruction Funds: Forensic Audits Identifying Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Interim Report #2
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Iraq Reconstruction Funds: Forensic Audits Identifying Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Interim Report #2, January 28, 2010 “Since our last report, SIGIR has reviewed an additional 51,000 transactions valued at $17.3 billion, bringing the total transactions reviewed to 73,000 transactions valued at $28 billion. We continue to identify… Continue Reading
CRS: The U.S. Postal Service's Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress
The U.S. Postal Services Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress, by Kevin R. Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, January 19, 2010 “This report provides an overview of the U.S. Postal Services (USPSs) financial condition, recent legislation to alleviate the USPSs financial challenges, and possible issues for the 111th Congress. Since 1971, the USPS… Continue Reading
BLS: Employment Cost Index, December 2009
News release: “Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending December 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Both components of compensation–wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation) and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation)–increased the same amount,… Continue Reading
Navy Establishes U.S. Fleet Cyber Command at Fort Meade, MD
OPNAV NOTICE 5400, January 11, 2010: “Action will establish U. S. Fleet Cyber Command as an echelon II command to serve as the Navy Component Commander to United States Cyber Command upon its establishment. Interim reporting will be to United States Strategic Command. Command will provide for operational employment of the Navy’s cyber, network operations,… Continue Reading
Survey of Public Knowledge: Senate Legislative Process a Mystery to Many
“The public has consistently expressed strong interest in the health care debate, but relatively few Americans can correctly answer two key questions related to the Senate’s consideration of health care legislation. In the latest installment of the Pew Research Center’s News IQ Quiz, just 32% know that the Senate passed its version of the legislation… Continue Reading
49 Congressional Websites Hacked
Washington Post: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) asked for an immediate review of how hackers were able to overtake 49 Web sites operated by members of the House or House committees following President Obama’s State of the Union address. Officials anticipate the sites will be fully operational again in… Continue Reading
President Obama delivers on American High-Speed Rail
Follow up to previous postings on high speed rail, today’s announcement via the DOT blog: “The investments we announce today make rail a viable transportation alternative in many regions. With this historic $8 billion investment by President Obama, we are jump-starting American High-Speed rail. The bulk of today’s awards go to new, large-scale high-speed rail… Continue Reading
Fact Sheet: Safety of Thimerosal in Vaccines Against 2009 H1N1 Flu
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is aware that pregnant women, parents of young children, and others may have questions about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines against 2009 H1N1 flu. Here is some information to help you in making decisions.” Continue Reading
