Why Presidents Release Their Tax Returns [note – this is a commentary on why Presidential candidates release their respective taxes – a significant factual tutorial on this issue that includes discussion of Trump’s past financial ties and foreign connections.] – “Rachel Maddow talks about the precedent for why presidents have released their tax returns and… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: March 2017
Washington DC metro commuters – this GAO report is for you
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:Improved Planning of Future Rehabilitation Projects Could Prevent Limitations Identified with SafeTrack, GAO-17-348: Published: Mar 14, 2017. Publicly Released: Mar 14, 2017. “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) planning of SafeTrack did not fully align with leading project management practices. While WMATA generally followed leading practices to coordinate with stakeholders,… Continue Reading
Already recycling cans, glass, cardboard, paper – add Styrofoam please
Via FoamFacts – “Foam #6, commonly referred to as Styrofoam—a trademark of Dow Chemical Company, is also known as expanded polystyrene or EPS…Foam # 6 is a thermoplastic, which means that it can be completely recycled. From a technical standpoint, converting foam into recycled pellets is very easy. And by using widely available compactors specifically designed for… Continue Reading
6 countries named in revised Trump travel order accounted for more than 650,000 U.S. entries since 2006
Pew – “The six nations affected by a new executive order that prevents their citizens from obtaining new visas to enter the United States for 90 days accounted for 649,932 legal U.S. entries between fiscal years 2006 and 2015. This group includes visitors, students and diplomats as well as refugees and new lawful permanent residents,… Continue Reading
Map documents inequality in education in US
Via CityLab: “Neighborhoods in which a person grows up affect his or her future earnings, longevity, and educational outcomes—all of which are, of course, interconnected. That’s vividly evident in a new dot map showing the distribution of the U.S. population by educational attainment. This interactive visualization was created by Kyle Walker, a geography professor at… Continue Reading
Report on crumbling dams throughout US
Follow-up to previous posting – McClatchy – Trump team compiles infrastructure priority list – new via Stratfor – “…there are more than 80,000 dams in the United States, with an average age of 52 years. The suburban sprawl and growing populations have also put more people downstream of dams that once only served agricultural land,… Continue Reading
New Watchdog Demands DOJ Investigation of Records Law Violations
Investigators Will Use Public Records and Legal Challenges to Uncover Misconduct Across Executive Branch Agencies “… American Oversight is led by experienced litigator Austin Evers who will serve as Executive Director and ethics expert Melanie Sloan who will serve as Senior Advisor. Evers and Sloan will be supported by an in-house litigation team and outside… Continue Reading
Paper – Public Interest vs. Private Lives
Yanisky-Ravid, Shlomit and Lahav, Ben Zion, Public Interest vs. Private Lives – Affording Public Figures Privacy, in the Digital Era: The Three Principles Filtering Model (March 12, 2006). University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, Vol. 19, No. 5, 2017. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2931864 “On the basis of reasoning that there exists a broad “right… Continue Reading
When Does Self-Interest Motivate Political Engagement? The Case of Climate Change
Levine, Adam Seth and Kline, Reuben, When Does Self-Interest Motivate Political Engagement? The Case of Climate Change (March 12, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2931842 “Past work finds that material self-interest often motivates increased issue engagement. In this paper we identify an important condition under which the opposite can occur. When people see an issue as… Continue Reading
POGO – Trump’s Trademarks Pose Ethics Challenge for the Executive Branch
POGO – “Last week, President Trump’s campaign committee filed a legal complaint against a textile manufacturer in South Carolina for applying to trademark the use of “Make America Great Again” on bath towels, bed blankets, and pillow cases. The complaint was brought before a panel called the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Trademark Board), a… Continue Reading
Knight Foundation – Forecasting Freedom of Information
Forecasting Freedom of Information – Why it faces problems—and how experts say they could be solved, March 2017 — By David Cuillier, University of Arizona School of Journalism. A study commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “People must have access to reliable public information to make informed decisions and hold their… Continue Reading
Presidential Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR REORGANIZING THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, March 13, 2017 – “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Purpose. This order is intended to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the executive branch… Continue Reading
