MIT News – “In light of Covid-19, an MIT study looks at tradeoffs between economic value and public health, across different types of retail. Banks and bookstores. Gyms and juice bars. Dental offices and department stores. The Covid-19 crisis has shuttered some kinds of businesses, while others have stayed open. But which places represent the… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Monthly Archives: June 2020
The Phone Settings You Need to Know Before Protesting
LifeHacker: “Tempting as it might be to just roll on up to a protest, a little planning can go a long way, especially if you’re going to take your phone with you. We’ve talked about a helpful shortcut iOS users can use to keep themselves safe (and we have an Android version in the works!),… Continue Reading
People are microwaving library books and masks to kill COVID-19
Detroit Free Press – and that’s bad: “People are getting creative when it comes to staying safe from COVID-19 and it has prompted at least one Michigan library to issue a public warning: Stop microwaving books…Library books have metal in the security radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which are located inside of the book. When… Continue Reading
Bing Covid-19 Tracker
FastCompany: “As the COVID-19 pandemic spins out of control in the United States, you once again need to keep your eye on it. (Exhausting, we know.) Over here at Fast Company, we have used dozens of trackers since February. The reigning favorite (for this reporter, at least) is the COVID-19 Tracker from Microsoft’s Bing search… Continue Reading
Republicans, Democrats Move Even Further Apart in Coronavirus Concerns
“As the number of coronavirus cases surges in many states across the United States, Republicans and Democrats increasingly view the disease in starkly different ways, from the personal health risks arising from the coronavirus outbreak to their comfort in engaging in everyday activities. These differences extend to opinions about whether a new stimulus package will… Continue Reading
Demographic report on protests shows how much info our phones give away
Buzzfeed: “On the weekend of May 29, thousands of people marched, sang, grieved, and chanted, demanding an end to police brutality and the defunding of police departments in the aftermath of the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. They marched en masse in cities like Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, empowered… Continue Reading
New research explores how conservative media misinformation may have intensified the severity of the pandemic
Washington Post – “…The three studies paint a picture of a media ecosystem that entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking steps to protect themselves and others.. There are many reasons our response to the pandemic tied to more than 120,000 U.S. deaths has faltered, experts say, including the lack of a cohesive federal… Continue Reading
Federal Workforce: Key Considerations for Agencies Returning Employees to Workplaces during Pandemics
Federal Workforce: Key Considerations for Agencies Returning Employees to Workplaces during Pandemics. GAO-20-650T: Published: Jun 25, 2020. Publicly Released: June 25, 2020. “We testified about key practices for agencies to consider as their workers re-enter the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic or telework for sustained periods during this and other emergencies. These include: Communicating continuously… Continue Reading
Trafficking in Persons Report 2020
U.S. Department of State – Trafficking in Persons Report 2020, June 2020: “For 20 years, the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) has demonstrated the United States’ conviction that human trafficking is a global threat necessitating a global response. Traffickers are denying nearly 25 million people their fundamental right to freedom, forcing them to live… Continue Reading
Knowledge Mismanagement – How the Virus Won
The New York Times – article and infographics – “Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs. We analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control…How the First Outbreaks Spread – Top federal health experts concluded by late February that the virus… Continue Reading
Large Case Examination Selection Method Consistently Results in High No-Change Rates
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) – The Large Case Examination Selection Method Consistently Results in High No-Change Rates June 22, 2020. Reference Number: 2020-30-031: “The IRS compiles Tax Gap data to periodically update appraisals of the nature and extent of tax payment noncompliance for use in formulating tax administration strategies. The IRS estimates… Continue Reading
Why companies like Porsche and Nestle are turning to worker-owned talent site Braintrust for new hires
Fortune: “There’s a new player in the world of freelance marketplaces. It’s called Braintrust and, like incumbents TaskRabbit and Upwork, it provides a website to connect contract workers and firms looking to hire them. But Braintrust stands out for a number of reasons—including its high profile clients. Since launching in 2018, the San Francisco startup… Continue Reading
