The New York Times – “…The bills demonstrate how disinformation can take on a life of its own, forming a feedback loop that shapes policy for years to come. When promoted with sufficient intensity, falsehoods — whether about election security or the coronavirus or other topics — can shape voters’ attitudes toward policies, and lawmakers can… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Tracking the Capital Insurrection
Washington Post – “Four months and hundreds of arrests after the chaos at the Capitol, the investigation into the Jan. 6 attack by a pro-Trump mob has come into focus. More than 2,000 criminal charges have been filed against 411 suspects, including hundreds of felonies such as assaulting officers and trespassing with a weapon. Authorities… Continue Reading
Pentagon Surveilling Americans Without a Warrant, Senator Reveals
“The Pentagon is carrying out warrantless surveillance of Americans, according to a new letter written by Senator Ron Wyden and obtained by Motherboard. Senator Wyden’s office asked the Department of Defense (DoD), which includes various military and intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), for detailed information… Continue Reading
Colonial Pipeline: The DarkSide Strikes
CRS Insight – Colonial Pipeline: The DarkSide Strikes, May 11, 2021: “On May 8, 2021,the Colonial Pipeline Company announced that it had halted its pipeline operations due to a ransomware attack, disrupting critical supplies of gasoline and other refined products throughout the East Coast. This attack was similar to an earlier pipeline ransomware attack in… Continue Reading
Google v. Oracle: Supreme Court Rules for Google in Landmark Software Copyright Case
CRS Legal Sidebar – Google v. Oracle: Supreme Court Rules for Google in Landmark Software Copyright Case, May 10, 2021: “On April 5, 2021,the Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc., the culmination of a decade-long software copyright dispute between the two tech giants. Resolving what observers have… Continue Reading
The Biden Administration’s Initial Presidential Directives in Context
CRS Insight. The Biden Administration’s Initial Presidential Directives in Context, Updated May 10, 2021: ” In its first 100 days,the Biden Administration issued a number of presidential directives that have drawn significant public attention for their speed and range of purposes. A review of the pace with which recent presidential Administrations issued executive orders shows… Continue Reading
Amazon blocks 10 billion—yes, billion—listings in massive counterfeit crackdown
AP via Fortune – “Amazon, which has been under pressure from shoppers, brands and lawmakers to crack down on counterfeits on its site, said [in its 2020 Brand Protection Report] Monday that it blocked more than 10 billion suspected phony listings last year before any of their offerings could be sold. The numbers were released… Continue Reading
Deep Fakes and National Security
CRS In Focus – Updated May 7, 2021 Deep Fakesand National Security – “Deep fakes”—a term that first emerged in 2017 to describe realistic photo, audio, video, and other forgeries generated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies—could present a variety of national security challenges in the years to come. As these technologies continue to mature, they… Continue Reading
Science and Technology Issues in the 117th Congress
CRS Report – Science and Technology Issues in the 117th Congress. May 5, 2021: “The federal government supports scientific and technological advancement directly by funding and performing research and development, and indirectly by creating and maintaining policies that encourage private sector efforts. Additionally, the federal government regulates many aspects of S&T activities. This report briefly… Continue Reading
Social Security: Who Is Covered Under the Program?
CRS In Focus – Social Security: Who Is Covered Under the Program? May 6, 2021: “Social Security pays cash benefits to about 65 million people each month. In all cases, a Social Security beneficiary becomes eligible for benefits either by working in a job that is covered by Social Security (a covered worker), by having… Continue Reading
Assessing the social and emotional costs of mass shootings with Twitter data
Brookings Blog – Assessing the social and emotional costs of mass shootings with Twitter data, Mary Blankenship and Carol Graham. May 5, 2021. “Mass shootings that result in mass casualties are almost a weekly occasion in the United States, which—not coincidentally—also has the most guns per capita in the world. Viewed from outside the U.S.,… Continue Reading
AI.gov, home of the National AI Initiative
“Welcome to AI.gov, home of the National AI Initiative and connection point to ongoing activities to advance U.S. leadership in AI. The National AI Initiative Act of 2020 became law on January 1, 2021, providing for a coordinated program across the entire Federal government to accelerate AI research and application for the Nation’s economic prosperity… Continue Reading
