“The 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reflects a world in which attacks on the media have become commonplace and strongmen are on the rise. We have reached the age of post-truth, propaganda, and suppression of freedoms – especially in democracies…RSF’s latest World Press Freedom Index highlights the danger of a tipping point in the state of media freedom, especially in leading democratic countries. (Read our analysis entitled Journalism weakened by democracy’s erosion.) Democracies began falling in the Index in preceding years and now, more than ever, nothing seems to be checking that fall. The obsession with surveillance and violations of the right to the confidentiality of sources have contributed to the continuing decline of many countries previously regarded as virtuous. This includes the United States (down 2 places at 43rd), the United Kingdom (down 2 at 40th), Chile (down 2 at 33rd), and New Zealand (down 8 at 13th)…”
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Daily Archives: April 27, 2017
How Libraries Became Public
Barbara Fister, April 26, 2017 – “Of all of our cultural institutions, the public library is remarkable. There are few tax-supported services that are used by people of all ages, classes, races, and religions. I can’t think of any public institutions (except perhaps parks) that are as well-loved and widely used as libraries. Nobody has… Continue Reading
How to Break Your Smartphone Addiction
“When people talk about addiction, the first thing that comes to mind are illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. But in the mobile era, behavioral addiction is much more prevalent and pervasive — and the culprit is the ubiquitous smartphone. Adam Alter, a marketing and psychology professor at New York University, says it’s an addiction by… Continue Reading
U.S. Study Shows Widening Disconnect with Nature, and Potential Solutions
Yale 360 Environment: “A survey of 12,000 adults and children in the United States has shown that many people have lost a close connection with nature, although a wide cross-section of respondents expressed a desire to close that gap. The study, conducted by the public relations and marketing firm DJ Case and Associates in conjunction… Continue Reading
Success of decades-long federal program to clean up Chesapeake Bay threatened by EPA $73M funding cut
Yale Environment 360 – “President Donald Trump’s first budget would eliminate all of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s $73 million in annual funding for restoring Chesapeake Bay. It is a radical break with decades of federal policy that ironically comes just when investment in the nation’s largest estuary appears to be paying off. “After decades… Continue Reading
Recent Developments in Patent Law (Spring 2017)
Lemley, Mark A. and Laupheimer, Madeleine and Yoon, James, Recent Developments in Patent Law (Spring 2017) (April 27, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2959553 “This paper summarizes the significant developments in patent law in the twelve months ending in April 2017. “ Continue Reading
U.S. Anti-Semitic Incidents Spike 86 Percent So Far in 2017 After Surging Last Year
ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Report: “Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. surged more than one-third in 2016 and have jumped 86 percent in the first quarter of 2017, according to new data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In its annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, ADL reports that there has been a massive increase in the amount of… Continue Reading
Pew – Searching for News – The Flint water crisis
“During the long saga of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan – an ongoing, multilayered disaster that exposed about 100,000 residents to harmful contaminants and lead and left them even as of early 2017 advised to drink filtered or bottled water – local and regional audiences used online search engines as a way to both… Continue Reading
Estimates of U.S. Population by Age and Sex: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2016
“A downloadable file containing estimates of the resident U.S. population by single year of age and sex is available on the Population and Housing Unit Estimates webpage at <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html>. In the coming months, the U.S. Census Bureau will release 2016 population estimates for cities and towns, as well as national, state and county population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.” Continue Reading
U.S. Manufacturing: Federal Programs Reported Providing Support and Addressing Trends
U.S. Manufacturing: Federal Programs Reported Providing Support and Addressing Trends, GAO-17-240: Published: Mar 28, 2017. Publicly Released: Apr 27, 2017. “GAO identified 58 programs in 11 federal agencies that reported providing support to U.S. manufacturing by fostering innovation through research and development, assisting with trade in the global marketplace, helping job seekers enhance skills and… Continue Reading
