CRS report via LC – COVID-19: Remote Voting Trends and the Election Infrastructure Subsector, June 10, 2020: “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated the systems and assets used to administer elections as a critical infrastructure subsector in 2017. The federal elections policyframework—including infrastructure protection—has generally assumed in-person voting at official polling places as the… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: June 2020
Larger Businesses and COVID-19 – Financial Relief and Assistance Resources
CRS report via LC: Larger Businesses and COVID-19: Financial Relief and Assistance Resources Updated June 11, 2020: “This CRS Insight presents selected resources and CRS products potentially relevant to medium and large businesses directly affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic seeking economic relief and assistance. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)… Continue Reading
Libraries are needed more than ever
USA Today – But many aren’t sure how to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic – “…Just 37% of libraries plan to reopen by July, according to a recently released survey from the American Library Association. Nearly half of the nation’s libraries – 47% – do not have plans to reopen their doors to the public anytime soon,… Continue Reading
CDC Document Shows Just How Badly the U.S. Is Handling Coronavirus
Gizmodo: “The U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic continues to be faltering, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leaked CDC documents dated June 9 that were obtained and published by Yahoo News this week show the U.S. is still exhibiting astronomical increases in new cases of the virus, doing… Continue Reading
Over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic particles fall into 11 protected areas in western U.S. each year
Wired – Plastic Rain Is the New Acid Rain – Researchers find that over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic fall on 11 protected areas in the US annually, equivalent to over 120 million plastic water bottles: “Writing today in the journal Science, researchers report a startling discovery: After collecting rainwater and air samples for 14… Continue Reading
Policing the Police: Qualified Immunity and Considerations for Congress
CRS report via LC – Policing the Police: Qualified Immunity and Considerations for Congress, June 10, 2020: “In the wake of unrest arising from George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020,after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck, broader questions have arisen with regard to how existing law regulates the conduct of… Continue Reading
Libraries Strive to Stay ‘Community Living Rooms’ as They Reopen
The New York Times – “Safely lending books is just the beginning. Libraries are figuring out everything from how to remain welcoming spaces to how to respond to changing reader behavior. In pockets of Virginia, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, there are books sitting in quarantine. They are public library books that have been returned, and… Continue Reading
Trump trashes 50-year-old environmental law, blames coronavirus
grist – “With the nation’s eyes on ongoing protests for racial justice (not to mention a seemingly endless public health crisis), last week President Trump signed an executive order that would waive key requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The landmark 1970 law requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of proposed… Continue Reading
Activists rally to save Internet Archive as lawsuit threatens site
Follow up to previous posting – Publishers file suit against Internet Archive for systematic mass scanning and distribution of literary works – via Decrypt: “…In March, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of public libraries, the Internet Archive created the National Emergency Library and temporarily suspended book waitlists—the kind that make you cool your jets… Continue Reading
MIT, guided by open access principles, ends Elsevier negotiations
MIT News: “Standing by its commitment to provide equitable and open access to scholarship, MIT has ended negotiations with Elsevier for a new journals contract. Elsevier was not able to present a proposal that aligned with the principles of the MIT Framework for Publisher Contracts. Developed by the MIT Libraries in collaboration with the Ad Hoc Task… Continue Reading
Coronavirus Could Make America’s Gun Problem Even Deadlier
The New York Times Opinion – We studied 26 million Americans over 12 years. Here’s what we learned about gun ownership. By David Studdert, Matthew Miller and Garen Wintemute Mr. Studdert is a professor at Stanford University, Mr. Miller at Northeastern University, and Mr. Wintemute at U.C. Davis: “Millions of Americans have experienced the coronavirus… Continue Reading
Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress
CRS report via LC: Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress. June 10, 2020: “…The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) expanded registration opportunities by creating a federal mail-based registration form and requiring states to provide voter registration opportunities alongside services provided by departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) and at other agencies. NVRA… Continue Reading
