“Freedom of Information complaints filed against the government — 498 in FY 2015 — are higher than they have ever been, according to a new analysis of fifteen years of court data by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). The data further show that in the two-year period of FY 2014 – 2015 under President… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2016
WONDER online databases utilize a rich ad-hoc query system for the analysis of public health data
CDC WONDER: Information and Communication – “Welcome to CDC WONDER — Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research — an easy-to-use, menu-driven system that makes the information resources of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) available to public health professionals and the public at large. It provides access to a wide array of public… Continue Reading
Politico Investigation – Why are so many crucial Obama administration jobs empty
Politico: “As Obama now takes his final lap in the White House, a POLITICO analysis of Cabinet-level agencies found that dozens of crucial jobs in his administration are either totally empty or run by an acting deputy. As senior aides have bolted for higher paying gigs, their jobs have remained empty — in some cases… Continue Reading
Paper – Staying Smart: How Today’s Graduates Continue to Learn Once They Complete College
Project Information Literacy Research Report: “Staying Smart” | January 5, 2016 | Alison J. Head Staying Smart: How Today’s Graduates Continue to Learn Once They Complete College – “This report presents findings about the information-seeking behavior of relatively recent college graduates used for lifelong learning in personal life, the workplace, and the local communities where… Continue Reading
FDA is banning unsafe chemicals used in pizza boxes
“The agency says new data show that perfluoroalkyl ethyls, used to keep paper packaging dry (think microwave popcorn bags and sandwich wrappers), may not be safe for food contact. In response to a petition from several advocacy groups (including NRDC), the FDA will ban three specific types of the chemicals.” Food Safety News Continue Reading
White House Memorandum – Promoting Smart Gun Technology
Memorandum — Promoting Smart Gun Technology MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, January 4, 2016 “For more than 20 years, the Federal Government has worked to keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks. This critical effort in addressing gun violence has prevented more than… Continue Reading
2015 Patent Dispute Report
Via Unified Patents – Overall Trend – 2015 Saw the Most Patent Disputes in History Continue Reading
2015 Non Practicing Entity Activity Highlights
“Every year, RPX produces a series of detailed reports on NPE (non-practicing entity) activity, covering patent infringement litigation, the transaction of patent assets in the marketplace, and a breakdown of the billions of dollars that companies have spent on related legal fees, settlements, and judgments. As we complete the collection and in-depth analysis of tens… Continue Reading
Can Robots Be Lawyers? Computers, Lawyers, and the Practice of Law
Remus, Dana and Levy, Frank S., Can Robots Be Lawyers? Computers, Lawyers, and the Practice of Law (December 30, 2015). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2701092 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2701092 “We assess frequently-advanced arguments that automation will soon replace much of the work currently performed by lawyers. Our assessment addresses three core weaknesses in the existing literature: (i) a… Continue Reading
Effects of Monetary and Macroprudential Policies on Financial Conditions : Evidence from the US
IMF Working Paper No. 15/288 – Aleksandra Zdzienicka; Sally Chen; Federico Diaz Kalan; Stefan Laseen; Katsiaryna Svirydzenka. December 31, 2015. “The Global Financial Crisis has reopened discussions on the role of the monetary policy in preserving financial stability. Determining whether monetary policy affects financial variables domestically—especially compared to the effects of macroprudential policies— and across… Continue Reading
Data Security and Breach Notification Legislation: Selected Legal Issues
CRS – Data Security and Breach Notification Legislation: Selected Legal Issues, Alissa M. Dolan, Legislative Attorney. December 28, 2015. “Recent data breaches at major U.S. retailers have placed a spotlight on concerns about the security of personal information stored in electronic form by corporations and other private entities. A data breach occurs when data containing… Continue Reading
Sex Discrimination and the United States Supreme Court: Developments in the Law
CRS – Sex Discrimination and the United States Supreme Court: Developments in the Law, Jody Feder, Legislative Attorney. December 30, 2015. “In its sex discrimination decisions, the United States Supreme Court not only has defined the applicability of the equal protection guarantees of the Constitution and the nondiscriminatory policies of federal statutes, but also has… Continue Reading
