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Daily Archives: November 30, 2015

Want to Obtain FBI Records a Little Quicker? Try New eFOIA System

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“The FBI recently began open beta testing of eFOIA, a system that puts Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests into a medium more familiar to an ever-increasing segment of the population. This new system allows the public to make online FOIA requests for FBI records and receive the results from a website where they have immediate access to view and download the released information. Previously, FOIA requests have only been made through regular mail, fax, or e-mail, and all responsive material was sent to the requester through regular mail either in paper or disc format. “The eFOIA system,” says David Hardy, chief of the FBI’s Record/Information Dissemination Section, “is for a new generation that’s not paper-based.” Hardy also notes that the new process should increase FBI efficiency and decrease administrative costs. The eFOIA system continues in an open beta format to optimize the process for requesters. The Bureau encourages requesters to try eFOIA and to e-mail with any questions or difficulties encountered while using it. In several months, the FBI plans to move eFOIA into full production mode.”

  • Update via Patrice McDermott – Executive Director at OpenTheGovernment.org – “You will need to upload a government-issued form of identification in one of the following file formats: .pdf, .doc, .png, .gif, .jpg, or .jpeg. I don’t think so….”

Oversight Committee Announces FITARA Scorecard

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“Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a scorecard assigning letter grades to federal agencies on their implementation of the bipartisan Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), enacted in December 2014. Full Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), IT Subcommittee Chairman Will Hurd (R-TX) and Ranking Member Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Government… Continue Reading

The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic

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Kaiser Family Foundation – “HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has become one of the world’s most serious health and development challenges. The first cases were reported in 1981 and today. There are approximately 36.9 million people currently living with HIV and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes… Continue Reading

Creating New Pathways to Justice Using Simple Artificial Intelligence and Online Dispute Resolution

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Thompson, Darin, Creating New Pathways to Justice Using Simple Artificial Intelligence and Online Dispute Resolution (June 30, 2015). International Journal of Online Dispute Resolution, 2015 (2) 1. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2696499 “Access to justice in can be improved significantly through implementation of simple artificial intelligence (AI) based expert systems deployed within a broader… Continue Reading

Final Report of the Task Force on Combatting Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel

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Via FAS – House Committee on Homeland Security, Final Report of the Task Force on Combatting Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel, October 2015. “Today we are witnessing the largest global convergence of jihadists in history, as individuals from more than 100 countries have migrated to the conflict zone in Syria and Iraq since 2011. Some… Continue Reading

U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2014

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U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2014 Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 50 million metric tons (MMmt), from 5,355 MMmt in 2013 to 5,406 MMmt in 2014. The increase in 2014 was influenced by the following factors: Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.4%; The carbon intensity of the energy supply (CO2/Btu) declined… Continue Reading

The Evolution of Third Party Payment Providers and Cryptocurrencies Under the EU’s Upcoming PSD2 and AMLD4

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Swift Institute –  The Evolution of Third Party Payment Providers and Cryptocurrencies Under the EU’s Upcoming PSD2 and AMLD4, Peggy Valcke, Niels Vandezande and Nathan van de Velde, September 23, 2015. “…THIRD PARTY PAYMENT SERVICES – Despite the rising popularity of third party payment providers and the sensitivity of their activities through the data they… Continue Reading

GAO Reports – Aquatic Invasive Species, IRS Whistleblower Program, K-12 Education, Nursing Home Quality, Transportation Infrastructure

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Aquatic Invasive Species: Additional Steps Could Help Measure Federal Progress in Achieving Strategic Goals, GAO-16-49: Published: Nov 30, 2015. Publicly Released: Nov 30, 2015: “Aquatic invasive species—harmful, nonnative plants, animals, and microorganisms living in aquatic habitats—damage ecosystems or threaten commercial, agricultural, and recreational activities.” IRS Whistleblower Program: Billions Collected, but Timeliness and Communication Concerns May… Continue Reading