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Daily Archives: May 4, 2023

8 important ways to check passwords and improve security, do you know them all?

9 to 5 Mac: “As hacking tools become more and more powerful, it’s more crucial than ever to maintain good password habits – or fix weak spots. World Password Day is a good reminder to share best security practices with friends or family or see if you’re on top of everything yourself. Here are 8 important ways to check passwords and improve security.We’ve seen a few reports recently highlighting how strong hacking tools are becoming and how weak the average password is, particularly with the latest AI. A study from NordPass this week revealed the 200 most common passwords in 30 different countries. And in the US, 83% of them can be cracked in “less than a second.” than a second.”

The Fed’s Monetary Tightening and the Risk Levels of US Banks

NBER: “Between March 7, 2022, and March 6, 2023, the Federal Reserve increased the federal funds rate by nearly 4.5 percentage points. This led to a $2.2 trillion aggregate decline in the market value of long-term bank assets such as government bonds, mortgages, and corporate loans. These decreases are not fully reflected in banks’ book… Continue Reading

This company adopted AI. Here’s what happened to its human workers

NPR: “Lately, it’s felt like technological change has entered warp speed. Companies like OpenAI and Google have unveiled new Artificial Intelligence systems with incredible capabilities, making what once seemed like science fiction an everyday reality. It’s an era that is posing big, existential questions for us all, about everything from literally the future of human… Continue Reading

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Turn Toward Tyranny

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Turn Toward Tyranny. May 4, 2023 by Heidi Li Feldman. Keynote for the Ontario Bar Association Legal Conference, “Cross Borders.” Lecture notes prepared by Heidi Li Feldman Part One: Outline of Remarks [snipped] 1.   Overview of the current state of U.S. Supreme Court A.   Composition of the current Supreme Court bench… Continue Reading

Jury Convicts Four Leaders of the Proud Boys of Seditious Conspiracy Related to U.S. Capitol Breach

DOJ: “All Defendants Convicted of Multiple Felonies. A jury in the District of Columbia today returned guilty verdicts on multiple felonies against five members of the Proud Boys, finding four of the defendants guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. According to… Continue Reading

Yet Another Problem With Recycling: It Spews Microplastics

Wired – “Recycling was already a mess. Now a study finds that one facility may emit 3 million pounds of microplastics a year. The plastics industry has long hyped recycling, even though it is well aware that it’s been a failure. Worldwide, only 9 percent of plastic waste actually gets recycled. In the United States, the rate… Continue Reading

HHS Launches New Website to Help People Find Support for Issues with Mental Health, Drugs, or Alcohol

“A video guide of FindSupport.gov is available for download and use in reporting, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As part of continuing efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to increase access to mental health and substance use resources, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched FindSupport.gov,… Continue Reading

The decline of time-based law firms

Jordan Furlong: “Feeling apocalyptic about the impact of legally trained Large Language Models (LLMs) on the future of law firms? No? Allow this excerpt from Corporate Counsel to help you with that. [T]here’s reason to believe a boatload of tasks could be replaced by AI—about 44% of legal tasks within the U.S., according to Goldman Sachs’… Continue Reading

Justice Thomas, gift reporting rules, and what a Supreme Court code of conduct would and wouldn’t accomplish

Brookings: “Recent revelations of Justice Clarence Thomas’s rocky relationship with gift and income reporting rules have heightened attention to the arcane and often misunderstood federal judicial ethics regime and quickened the drumbeat for a Supreme Court code of conduct. My goal in this post is to (1) summarize the statutes and rules that govern federal… Continue Reading

Goldman’s Role in Failed SVB Deal Under Review in US Probe

Bloomberg (alternative free link) sold portfolio to Goldman at a loss, sought firm’s help Bank’s failure helped push regional lenders into turmoil “Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s role in Silicon Valley Bank’s attempt to raise funds in March is under review by US governmental agencies, which are looking into the failed transaction that helped push the… Continue Reading

Bank Regulation: Preliminary Review of Agency Actions Related to March 2023 Bank Failures

Bank Regulation: Preliminary Review of Agency Actions Related to March 2023 Bank Failures. GAO-23-106736 Published: Apr 28, 2023. Publicly Released: Apr 28, 2023.  “Risky business strategies along with weak liquidity and risk management contributed to the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. In both banks, rapid growth was an indicator of risk.… Continue Reading