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Monthly Archives: February 2017

New on LLRX – First Lifeline, Now Broadband Program for Schools and Libraries in the FCC’s Crosshairs

New on LLRX.comFirst Lifeline, Now Broadband Program for Schools and Libraries in the FCC’s Crosshairs – In a previous article here on LLRX, Gigi Sohn wrote about how the new Federal Communications Commission majority revoked the approval of nine companies to become Lifeline providers and how that would weaken the Lifeline program and widen the digital divide. Sohn follows up with a discussion of how the E-Rate program, which makes broadband services more affordable for America’s schools and libraries, is in the FCC majority’s crosshairs. And much like the case of Lifeline, Sohn argues the majority is using procedural steps and administrative tools to weaken the E-Rate program.

New on LLRX – Defending the Indefensible: Chairman Pai’s Lifeline Reversal Will Widen the Digital Divide

Via LLRX.com – Defending the Indefensible: Chairman Pai’s Lifeline Reversal Will Widen the Digital Divide – Lifeline is one of four FCC programs intended to ensure that all Americans have access to modern communications. This article by Gigi Sohn, who served as Counselor to the Chairman in the Office of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler until… Continue Reading

New on LLRX – Can current antitrust law deal with Amazon?

Via LLRX.com – Can current antitrust law deal with Amazon? Chris Meadows calls our attention to a Yale Law Journal by Lina M. Khan published in January 2017 titled Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox. The author presents an argument in favor of modifying antitrust law in light of the realm of competition created by a burgeoning, powerful… Continue Reading

Report – Children and Youth Learning English Require Better Support for Academic Success

“Despite their potential, many English learners (ELs) — who account for more than 9 percent of K-12 enrollment in the U.S. — lag behind their English-speaking monolingual peers in educational achievement, in part because schools do not provide adequate instruction and social-emotional support to acquire English proficiency or access to academic subjects at the appropriate… Continue Reading

Presidential Executive Order on Restoring Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing “Waters of the United States” Rule

Presidential Executive Order on Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the “Waters of the United States” Rule “….Section 1. Policy. It is in the national interest to ensure that the Nation’s navigable waters are kept free from pollution, while at the same time promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and… Continue Reading

Welcome to Code.mil – an experiment in open source at the Department of Defense

“The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) faces unique challenges in open sourcing its code. Unlike most software projects, code written by U.S. Federal government employees typically doesn’t have copyright protections under U.S. and some international laws. This can make it hard to attach an open source license to our code, and our team here at… Continue Reading

Paper – Right to Be Forgotten: Much Ado About Nothing

Frosio, Giancarlo F., Right to Be Forgotten: Much Ado About Nothing (January 31, 2017). 15(2) Colorado Technology Law Journal (2017 Forthcoming). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2908993 “In the information society, the role of private sector entities in gathering information for and about users has long been a most critical issue. Therefore, intermediaries have become a main… Continue Reading

Electricity: Federal Efforts to Enhance Grid Resilience

Electricity: Federal Efforts to Enhance Grid Resilience, GAO-17-153: Published: Jan 25, 2017. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2017. “The nation’s electricity grid faces potential threats from natural disasters and deliberate attacks. We looked at the federal government’s efforts to enhance the grid’s resilience—its ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover from potentially disruptive… Continue Reading

Environmental Litigation: Information on Endangered Species Act Deadline Suits

Environmental Litigation: Information on Endangered Species Act Deadline Suits, GAO-17-304: Published: Feb 28, 2017. Publicly Released: Feb 28, 2017.  “To receive protection under the Endangered Species Act, a species must be on one of the federal lists of threatened or endangered species. Section 4 of the act includes mandatory deadlines for the Fish and Wildlife… Continue Reading

Is your browser safe against tracking?

“When you visit a website, online trackers and the site itself may be able to identify you – even if you’ve installed software to protect yourself. It’s possible to configure your browser to thwart tracking, but many people don’t know how. Panopticlick will analyze how well your browser and add-ons protect you against online tracking… Continue Reading

In series of paper researchers document how Twitter impacted who won US Presidential election

University of Rochester – “Luo and Wang, a dual PhD candidate in political and computer science, summarized their findings in eight papers during the course of the campaign, including these observations: The more Donald Trump tweeted, the faster his following grew–even after he performed poorly in debates against other Republican candidates, and even after he… Continue Reading

New digital photos show never before seen detail of Sistine Chapel

ArtNews: “The world-famous Sistine Chapel—which greets as many as 25,000 visitors per day, their necks craned toward the ceiling—can now be looked at in even greater detail, after being documented with the newest technology in art photography. Ending a five-year project, the frescoes adorning the ceiling at the Vatican Museums have been shot in 270,000 digital frames, giving… Continue Reading