Govinfo: “After being held as a POW for 5 ½ years in North Vietnam, Lieut. Commander McCain was released on May 14, 1973. Nine years later in 1982 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona. In 1986 he was elected to the United States Senate. Throughout his tenure in Congress, he… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
CRS – Election Security: Issues in the 2018 Midterm Elections
Election Security: Issues in the 2018 Midterm Elections August 16, 2018 IN10955 In the wake of assessments about foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election, concerns have been mounting about the security of the 2018 midterm elections. Security efforts are complicated by the complex, multidimensional election life cycle, with each dimension involving a broad array… Continue Reading
CRS – Gun Control: 3D-Printed AR-15 Lower Receivers
Gun Control: 3D-Printed AR-15 Lower Receivers August 22, 2018. IN10957 “The possibility that criminals could use three dimensional-printing (3D-printing) technology to produce “untraceable” firearms, including AR-15s, is an issue of growing concern for some lawmakers. It overlaps in part with the issue of 3D-printed “undetectable” firearms discussed in a previous Insight (CRS Insight IN10953, Gun… Continue Reading
Do People Look at Legislation on Their Phones? Yes, They Do!
In Custodia Legis: The following is a guest post by Leah K. Ibraheem, the web metrics analyst in the Office of the Chief Information Officer of the Library of Congress. “Natalie shared the news when we hit a big metrics milestone last year of more than a million page views and visits in a single day. I track metrics… Continue Reading
New bill would require paper ballots to secure election results
CNET – The bill, submitted by nine senators on Tuesday, would also mandate election audits. “The Russians can’t hack paper. On Tuesday, twelve Senators introduced a bill [ [The Protecting American Votes and Elections Act] that would require state and local governments to use paper ballots in an effort to secure elections from hackers. The… Continue Reading
Science Under Trump: Voices of Scientists across 16 Federal Agencies (2018)
Union of Concerned Scientists – Center for Science and Democracy – Promoting Scientific Integrity: “A year and a half into the Trump administration, its record on science policy is abysmal: undermining the role of science in decision-making, expanding the influence of regulated industries, excluding public voices, censoring scientists, overriding and dismissing science advice, and hindering… Continue Reading
Greater Commitment Needed by Fintech Firms to Ensure Automated Algorithms Protect Against Discrimination in Loan Applications
“Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II announced today the findings of his investigation into the small business lending practices of Financial Technology (FinTech) companies. Last year, Congressman Cleaver launched an investigation to study the methods that FinTech companies use to protect consumers against discriminatory practices. One of the primary focuses of the survey was the use of… Continue Reading
Facebook opens up to researchers – but not about 2016 election
NBC News – Facebook’s decision is a roadblock for experts who want to examine possible factors behind President Donald Trump’s victory: “Last month, academic researchers got word of a tantalizing offer. Facebook said it would give them a way to study how web addresses are shared on its social network, for the first time opening… Continue Reading
How the Holocaust-Swiss banks deal was brokered
Swissinfo: “It has been 20 years since Swiss banks agreed to compensate Holocaust victims for assets lost during the Second World War. A documentary takes a look at the dormant Swiss bank account scandal. The conflict over Jewish assets in Swiss bank accounts culminated in the 1990s in what would become Switzerland’s largest foreign policy… Continue Reading
Report shines light on political ads that appear on Google and affiliates
Google Transparency Report – “This searchable database features political ads that have appeared on Google and partner properties. It is updated once a week. Find ads about federal candidates or current elected federal officeholders, and see who paid for them… Introducing a new transparency report for political ads. We first launched our Transparency Report in… Continue Reading
So you want to comment on a regulation? Here’s how
How to effectively comment on regulations. August 2018. Adam Looney, Director, Center on Regulation and Markets, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution. “The Trump administration has made its deregulatory agenda clear since inauguration day. The administration’s actions have ranged from sweeping rollbacks of major rules that have garnered media attention, to smaller orders and guidance withdrawals… Continue Reading
Researcher study – U.S. House candidates vulnerable to hacks
Reuters: “Three of every 10 candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives have significant security problems with their websites, according to a new study by independent researchers that underscores the threat hackers pose to the November elections…A team of four independent researchers led by former National Institutes for Standards and Technology security expert Joshua… Continue Reading
