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Daily Archives: July 15, 2016

Online map searches that bring you to Null Island

WSJ.com: “Every day, countless people seeking digital directions on their computers and smartphones are diverted to an isolated spot on the Atlantic Ocean, 1,000 miles or so off the coast of Africa, where the Prime Meridian and the equator intersect. It’s called Null Island. This lonely way station in the Gulf of Guinea…is…one of the most-visited places in the world. The only problem for its millions of visitors is that there isn’t much to see…In the world of geographic information systems, the island is an apparition that serves a practical purpose. It lies at “zero-zero,” a mapper’s shorthand for zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude. By a programming quirk introduced by developers, those are the default coordinates where Google maps and other digital Global Positioning System applications are directed to send the millions of users who make mistakes in their searches…”

United States Health Care Reform – Progress to Date and Next Steps

United States Health Care Reform Progress to Date and Next Steps, Barack Obama, JD – free article via JAMA. Published online July 11, 2016. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.9797 “Importance  The Affordable Care Act is the most important health care legislation enacted in the United States since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The law implemented comprehensive reforms designed… Continue Reading

Vox – 7 biggest problems facing science according to 270 scientists

Via Vox – by Julia Belluz, Brad Plumer, and Brian Resnick, July 14, 2016: “Science is in big trouble. Or so we’re told. In the past several years, many scientists have become afflicted with a serious case of doubt — doubt in the very institution of science. Explore the biggest challenges facing science, and how… Continue Reading

House Intelligence Committee Publishes Recently Declassified Redacted Version of “28 Pages”

News release: “Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), under the direction of Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), approved publication of a newly declassified section of the 2002 Joint Congressional Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001.   Following a declassification… Continue Reading

EUscreen portal searchable archive of professional audiovisual from 2009-present

“The EUscreen portal offers free online access to thousands of items of audiovisual heritage. It brings together clips that provide an insight into the social, cultural, political and economic events that have shaped the 20th and 21st centuries. As well as chronicling important historical events, the EUscreen portal allows you to explore television programmes that… Continue Reading

MuckRock launching a national database of FOIA exemptions

Michael Morisy – We’re building an open guide to every state’s public records law – Help track down and fight every public records exemption across the country. “With agencies increasingly using an array of exemptions to deny access to information, we want to help requesters fight back. We’re launching a project to track every public… Continue Reading

Smithsonian Magazine – An Oral History of the March on Washington

Summer 1963 – “The potent symbolism of a demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial—timed to coincide with the centenary of the Emancipation Proclamation and following President John F. Kennedy’s announcement in June that he would submit a civil rights bill to Congress—transfixed the nation. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also catapulted 34-year-old Martin… Continue Reading

USAGov Contact Center Connects You to Answers from Your Government

“It can be overwhelming to search for dependable information about government services and benefits. USAGov is your starting point–the official federal program that guides you to the information you need from across government. Browse or search for the agencies and programs you need on USA.gov or its Spanish language counterpart, GobiernoUSA.gov. If you’d rather talk… Continue Reading