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Monthly Archives: August 2023

The Sweep and Force of Section Three

Baude, William and Paulsen, Michael Stokes, The Sweep and Force of Section Three (August 9, 2023). University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Vol. 172, 2024, Available at SSRN “Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment forbids holding office by former office holders who then participate in insurrection or rebellion. Because of a range of misperceptions and mistaken… Continue Reading

Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations

ProPublica continues its stellar investigative reporting on SCOTUS and the Money Train – The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel. “During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has enjoyed steady access to a lifestyle most Americans can only imagine. A cadre of industry titans and ultrawealthy… Continue Reading

Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Law Part 1

Murray, Michael D., Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Law Part 1: Lawyers Must be Professional and Responsible Supervisors of AI (June 14, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4478588 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4478588  – This article discusses the benefits and challenges of using artificial intelligence (AI) systems to assist lawyers in legal practice. It argues that at present… Continue Reading

2023 National Book Festival

Library of Congress: “Join us in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 12, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.). If you can’t join us in Washington, D.C. for a day of free talks and activities, several programs will be livestreamed, and video of… Continue Reading

Your Phone Isn’t Spying on You to Show You Ads (It’s Worse Than That)

Lifehacker: “…What data your phone is actually collecting. Instead of eavesdropping and storing your voice as many assume, your apps, phone, watch, game system, computer, and probably your oven are greedily collecting every data point they possibly can, including but not limited to your: Location information (both through your device’s location settings and IP address)… Continue Reading

Google Slides’ new tool lets you annotate your presentations

engadget: “Google has introduced a new tool for Slides that can help you make your presentations more interactive and keep your audience’s attention. The new feature, a pen tool, lets you write on a slide in real time, so you can encircle key figures, draw arrows, underline important information and just generally scribble anything you… Continue Reading

Congress.gov New, Tip, and Top August 2023

In Custodia Legis – August 2023 – Browse back to the First Congress: “In July, Robert shared news about the new treaty document email alerts. He also shared that we added Browse pages back to the 43rd Congress that included the Bound Congressional Record. We have done a lot of work over the recent months… Continue Reading

Colleges Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow. ‘These Places Are Just Devouring Money.’

WSJ (free to read): “The nation’s best-known public universities have been on an unfettered spending spree. Over the past two decades, they erected new skylines comprising snazzy academic buildings and dorms. They poured money into big-time sports programs and hired layers of administrators.  Then they passed the bill along to students. The University of Kentucky… Continue Reading

Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard

“The Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard, created in partnership between the HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity and the DOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, uses nationally submitted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data to track EMS responses to people experiencing heat-related emergencies in the pre-hospital setting. For more information regarding how to use… Continue Reading

Data Insecurity Laws

Stein, David, Data Insecurity Laws (July 27, 2023). __ Santa Clara High Tech. L.J. __ (Forthcoming), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4523433– “By broad consensus, data security laws have failed to stem a rising tide of data breaches. Data security laws come in three forms: duties to protect data, duties to notify consumers after a breach, and… Continue Reading

Zoom Is Using You to Train AI. So Will Everyone Else

Rolling Stone: “Zoom, the virtual communications platform that millions use for remote work, is facing backlash over an updated policy allowing it to train their AI products on customer data pulled from meetings. But experts say this not an isolated case — it’s a sign of how big tech plans to harvest and leverage your… Continue Reading