Washington Post – “Leaders of the federal judiciary are working to block bipartisan legislation designed to create a national database of court records that would provide free access to case documents. Backers of the bill, who are pressing for a House vote in the coming days, envision a streamlined, user-friendly system that would allow citizens… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Fixing financial data to assess systemic risk
Economic Studies at Brookings – Fixing financial data to assess systemic risk, Greg Feldberg, Research Scholar, Yale School of Management: “The COVID-19 market disruption again highlighted the flaws in the data that the public and the authorities use to assess risks in the financial system. We don’t have the right data, we can’t analyze the… Continue Reading
Google and Competition: Concerns Beyond the DOJ’s Lawsuit
CRS In Focus – Google and Competition: Concerns Beyond the DOJ’s Lawsuit, December 2, 2020: “On October 20, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 11 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google LLC under Section 2 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. §2). The lawsuit alleges that Google unlawfully maintains “monopolies in the… Continue Reading
Free PACER advocates say $2B estimate for new online system is not accurate
FedScoop: “Building a new online system that will make federal court records free to the public will cost far less than a rumored $2 billion, according to former government technologists and IT experts. In a letter sent Tuesday to the Judicial Conference of the United States, representatives from the Free Law Project — a nonprofit… Continue Reading
Legal Issues in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Deployment
CRS report via LC – Legal Issues in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Deployment, Updated November 25, 2020 – “Private companies, universities, and governmental entities are working to develop a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccines are biological products regulated under the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C… Continue Reading
Consumer Bureau to Decide Who Owns Your Financial Data
DC Report: What Should Banks, Fintechs Be Allowed to Do With All that They Know About You? – “A federal agency is gearing up to make wide-ranging policy changes on consumers’ access to their financial data. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is looking to implement the area of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform… Continue Reading
Foreign Legal Gazettes Database
“On December 8 at 2pm ET, the Law Library of Congress will host a webinar to demonstrate how to use our new Foreign Legal Gazettes Database to explore the Law Library’s vast collection of foreign legal gazettes. The Law Library has been collecting foreign legal gazettes since the mid-19th century. We are one of the… Continue Reading
State Elections 2020
National Conference of State Legislatures – State Elections 2020 – “Voters in 44 states chose nearly 6,000 state legislators on Nov. 3, although votes are still being counted. Click on the partisan control, statewide ballot measures and election administration tabs below for postelection analysis Postelection Partisan Legislative Control Map is being updated as results are… Continue Reading
#Protect2020 Rumor vs. Reality
Chris Krebs, the DHS Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was fired by President Trump on November 17, 2020. His agency’s website, “RumorControl – Mis- and Disinformation can undermine public confidence in the electoral process, as well as in our democracy,” is still online but may not continue. “This webpage is for people with… Continue Reading
Why Two Decades of Pandemic Planning Failed
Medium – The Cicero Institute: “At the commencement of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the United States government flailed and then failed in its attempt to respond to the crisis. Americans couldn’t help but ask why the government didn’t have a plan for this situation, a situation that was not only predictable, but which many scientists… Continue Reading
Federal Regulators Increase Focus on Patient Risks From Electronic Health Records
Pew -“As part of a federal program to routinely publish data on the capabilities of electronic health record (EHR) systems, the government recently finalized a component that will help collect information from doctors, nurses, and other clinicians about the effects of these technologies on patient safety. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information… Continue Reading
How Do Presidential Transitions Normally Work?
LifeHacker: “The White House has seen a peaceful transitions of power between outgoing and incoming presidential administrations throughout history, regardless of any volatility gripping the nation. Passing the baton of executive power to a new presidential administration has been a hallmark of this country’s democracy; the White House is where presidential tenants temporarily reside, not… Continue Reading
