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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Federal Appeals Court Rules that Legal Policy Memos Can Be Withheld From the Publi

“The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled that the FBI may withhold a memo prepared by the Office of Legal Counsel concerning the law governing “exigent letter” requests to telephone companies for call records. The decision affirmed an earlier opinion that the memo was privileged advice, and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom information Act. The… Continue Reading

LA Times – Meager Sierra snowpack is way below average

By Bettina Boxall: “The signs aren’t good when the chief of California’s snow survey has to walk over bare ground to take a snowpack measurement in the Sierra Nevada, as Frank Gehrke did Friday near Echo Summit. Manual and electronic readings up and down the range placed the statewide snowpack at 20% of normal for this… Continue Reading

Speech by Chairman Bernanke on the Federal Reserve: looking back, looking forward

Chairman Ben S. Bernanke At the Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 3, 2014 – The Federal Reserve: Looking Back, Looking Forward “In less than a month my term as Fed Chairman will end. Needless to say, my tenure has been eventful–for the Federal Reserve, for the country, and for me personally. I thought… Continue Reading

CFPB launches participatory e-gov applications developed by visiting scholars and in-house coders

Via Joseph Marks at NextGov, writing about new iterations in government interactions with consumers: “The eRegulagions site got support from some of the 30 CFPB design and technology fellows participating in a two year program for tech professionals to build tools that help regulated companies comply with the laws CFPB enforces and to use data… Continue Reading

Using Force on Land to Suppress Piracy at Sea: The Legal Landscape of a Largely Untapped Strategy

Using Force on Land to Suppress Piracy at Sea: The Legal Landscape of a Largely Untapped Strategy, Steven R. Obert, Government of the United States of America – U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. December 31, 2013 “On May 14, 2012, a combat helicopter operated by European Union Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR) struck a pirate base ashore in Somalia,… Continue Reading

NYT – Unemployed in Europe Stymied by Lack of Technology Skills

Liz Alderman: “Week after week, newspapers issue a stream of hopeful headlines: Microsoft, PayPal, Fujitsu and scores of other companies are expanding their investments in Ireland, creating thousands of jobs as unemployment hovers near record highs. There is just one hitch: Not enough people are qualified to fill all the jobs. In some cases, the companies have… Continue Reading

EPIC – Snapchat Data Breach Exposes 4.6 Million Usernames

“A data breach has exposed the usernames and partial phone numbers of 4.6 million users of Snapchat, a popular photo- and video-sharing app. The breach was accomplished by exploiting a flaw that was previously brought to company’s attention by security researchers. Last year, EPIC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission regarding Snapchat’s deceptive claim that photos would “disappear forever”… Continue Reading