New York Times: “Thousands of the nations largest water polluters are outside the Clean Water Acts reach because the Supreme Court has left uncertain which waterways are protected by that law, according to interviews with regulators. As a result, some businesses are declaring that the law no longer applies to them. And pollution rates are rising. Companies that have spilled oil, carcinogens and dangerous bacteria into lakes, rivers and other waters are not being prosecuted, according to Environmental Protection Agency regulators working on those cases, who estimate that more than 1,500 major pollution investigations have been discontinued or shelved in the last four years.
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Monthly Archives: February 2010
EEOC Issues New Data on Job Patterns in Private Sector
News release: “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted extensive new data on job patterns in the private sector, as part of the Obama Administrations Open Government Initiative. The EEOC posted 11 new aggregate data sets from the most recent edition of its report Job Patterns for Minorities and Women in Private Industry,… Continue Reading
New Study: More Than 825,000 Adults in NYC Do Not Have Bank Or Credit Card Accounts
News release: “Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz today announced that more than 825,000 adult New Yorkers do not have bank accounts, but instead use fringe financial services like check cashers to pay bills, cash payroll checks, buy money orders and conduct other financial transactions. To help New Yorkers transition from using high-cost… Continue Reading
Cisco Retail Banking Survey Finds Generation Y Consumers' Needs Will Transform Retail Banking
News release: “Cisco announced the findings of a retail banking study that suggests banks have an opportunity to increase revenues up to 10 percent by embracing Generation Y consumers. Conducted by the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), Cisco’s global consultancy, the study surveyed 1,055 U.S. consumers to better understand their financial priorities, service expectations… Continue Reading
Google: Refine your searches by location
Official Google Blog: “Location has become an important part of the way we search. If you’re a foodie looking for restaurant details, food blogs or the closest farmer’s market, location can be vital to helping you find the right information….we’ve added the ability to refine your searches with the “Nearby” tool in the Search Options… Continue Reading
Study Ranks Top 20 Companies for Privacy in 2010, Facebook Drops Off List
EPIC: “Ponemon Institute released its annual study identifying the top twenty companies that are most trusted for privacy. American Express was ranked first, earning the Most Trusted for Privacy distinction for the fifth year in a row. Facebook suffered several privacy missteps over the last year, including a recent change in privacy settings at the… Continue Reading
President Obama Signs Extension of Patriot Act
Related postings on Patriot Act and this recent CRS report: Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization to accompany the following news and documents: Obama Signs Patriot Act Reauthorization ACLU: Congress Drops the Ball on Upgrading Patriot Protections U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General… Continue Reading
Google Person Finder: Chile Earthquake
New York Times: 2 Million Displaced After Chile Quake and Chilean Quake a Warning to U.S. Northwest Google Person Finder: Chile Earthquake: What is your situation? I’m looking for someone I have information about someone Continue Reading
DOD Policy on Social Networking Services
Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 09-026 – Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities, February 25, 2010 “This memorandum establishes DoD policy and assigns responsibilities for responsible and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) [Internet-based capabilities. All publicly accessible information capabilities and applications available across the Internet in locations not owned, operated, or… Continue Reading
Semiautomatic assault weapons no longer among firearms to which the ten-year minimum sentence applies
Opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, November 24, 2009: “You have asked whether possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime is conduct that remains subject to a mandatory ten-year minimum sentence. Having carefully considered the views of the Criminal Division and… Continue Reading
Missing White House E-Mails Still Factor in Torture Memo Investigation
Follow up to DOJ Report on Bush Administration Interrogation Memos and Related Documents, the New York Times reports: “Large batches of e-mail records from the Justice Department lawyers who worked on the 2002 legal opinions justifying the Bush administrations brutal interrogation techniques are missing, and the Justice Department told lawmakers Friday that it would try… Continue Reading
Nearly 100,000 Deaths Yearly Due to Hospital-Associated Antibiotic Resistant Infections
New York Times: “Health authorities do not have good figures on how many infections and deaths in the United States are caused by Gram-negative bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 1.7 million hospital-associated infections, from all types of bacteria combined, cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths each year. But in… Continue Reading
