In Custodia Legis: “In June, Margaret shared that we had added district maps to member profile pages on Congress.gov. Each map on a member profile can be expanded to show a larger size version of the map. With today’s update to Congress.gov, we build upon the district maps by adding a new search box to help you… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: July 2020
Machine Learning + Libraries: A Report on the State of the Field
The LC Signal: “Digital collections in libraries are vast—and growing, as we continue to digitize cultural heritage materials and acquire new born digital collections. At the same time, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence has grown exponentially. At LC Labs, we explore how technology can help fulfill the Library of Congress’s vision that… Continue Reading
Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop ‘Needless’ Copyright Lawsuit and Work with Us
Publishers Weekly: “During a 30-minute Zoom press conference on July 22, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle urged the four major publishers suing over the organization’s book scanning efforts to consider settling the dispute in the boardroom rather than the courtroom. “I call on the executives of Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House to come… Continue Reading
FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol
7/27/2020 PRESS RELEASE – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol, Takes Additional Action to Address Concerning Products – “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol, Takes Additional Action to Address Concerning Products – Agency Urges Consumers, Health Care Professionals Not to Use… Continue Reading
Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs
CRS report via LC: Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs. Updated July 28, 2020. “Congress is considering the relationship of Confederate symbols to federal lands and programs. A number of federal agencies administer assets or fund activities in which references to the Civil War Confederacy, Confederate flags and artifacts, and commemorations of Confederate… Continue Reading
Charity Navigator is launching a new rating system to help better evaluate nonprofits
FastCompany: “Since March, as the pandemic has shattered the economy and the protests forced an examination of racial justice, Charity Navigator has seen a 200% year-over-year increase in donations to nonprofits made on its site. Now, as interest in giving continues to grow, the largest charity evaluator wants to make it even easier for donors… Continue Reading
KFF Health Tracking Poll – July 2020
Coronavirus: Reopening, Schools, And The Government Response – Key Findings – July 27, 2020: Amid a surging coronavirus pandemic and record numbers of new cases in many states, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds most U.S. adults feel the worst effects of the pandemic are yet to come, and seven in ten (including four… Continue Reading
Librarians alarmed about coronavirus safety at D.C.’s reopened public libraries
Washington Post – “When the District’s public libraries began gradually reopening in late May, many residents rushed to check out books for the first time in six weeks. By mid-July, the library was opening its doors for six hours a day, five days a week, for patrons who could come inside to borrow items and… Continue Reading
Victory Gardens Were More About Solidarity Than Survival
The New York Times Magazine – In the latest article from “Beyond the World War II We Know,” a series from The Times that documents lesser-known stories from World War II, we recount the history of victory gardens and some of the misconceptions of how they emerged after the United States joined the conflict. Of… Continue Reading
You asked, we’re answering: Your top coronavirus questions
“CNN readers from around the world have asked more than 90,000 questions about coronavirus. We’re reading as many as we can and answering some of the most popular questions here. Search by topic or by keywords (below) to find answers to your questions. If you have a question we haven’t answered, ask us here. You… Continue Reading
San Francisco Police Accessed Business District Camera Network to Spy on Protestors
EFF: “The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early June using a downtown business district’s camera network, according to new records obtained by EFF. The records show that SFPD received real-time live access to hundreds of cameras as well as a “data dump” of… Continue Reading
White House Tells EPIC to Delete COVID-19 Records, EPIC Declines
“In an unusual development, the White House directed EPIC this week to delete a set of records that EPIC recently obtained from the Office of Science & Technology Policy—a request which EPIC declined. On Tuesday, EPIC published hundreds of records about the White House’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and proposals to use location data… Continue Reading
