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Category Archives: Legal Research

The Changing Tides of the SEC Under the Second Trump Administration

The Changing Tides of the SEC Under the Second Trump Administration – “From the moment the second Trump presidential term became a reality in November 2024, it was widely expected that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would undergo broad changes under a Republican-led commission focused on rolling back many of the Biden administration’s regulatory… Continue Reading

DOGE Deletes Agency Behind Login.gov, IRS Direct File, Other Tech Projects

PC Mag: “The General Services Administration (GSA) has axed a technology unit that developed key public-facing IT services like Login.gov, the central login system for key government services like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The decision, unearthed in an internal memo seen by Politico, was ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as… Continue Reading

Trump Bid to Take Over Postal Service Could Threaten Mail Voting

Democracy Docket: “President Donald Trump may soon attempt to absorb the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), an independent agency, into his administration by issuing an executive order that reportedly would dissolve the service’s leadership. The order could allow the Trump administration to make mail voting — which was used by tens of millions of voters last… Continue Reading

The Nicest Swamp on the Internet

The Atlantic [no paywall] “…The joy of Reddit comes from it being simultaneously niche and expansive—like an infinite world’s fair of subcultures, fandoms, support groups, and curiosities. There seems to be a subreddit for everyone and everything. There are mainstream subreddits with popular appeal, such as r/askscience (26 million users) and r/technology (18 million users).… Continue Reading

2025 Air Quality Standards database

“The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), has unveiled the updated 2025 Air Quality Standards database. This resource compiles national air quality standards for major pollutants and other airborne toxics from countries worldwide. This latest update provides an overview of global efforts towards achieving the… Continue Reading

Mapped: How Much U.S. States Rely on Imports from Canada, Mexico, and China

Voronoi – “What We’re Showing – This map illustrates the top trading partner of every U.S. state as of November 2024. The data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. Key Takeaways Canada, Mexico, and China are the top trade partners for 42 states. The U.S. imports about $900 billion in goods from Canada and… Continue Reading

No, AI can’t decide whom to fire or many other DOGE goals

Washington Post – no paywall – Identify “mission-critical” jobs? Spot dead people on Social Security rolls? Government needs AI -— but what DOGE appears to be doing doesn’t add up. The U.S. DOGE Service is pursuing an “AI-first” strategy to remake the government. I understand why it’s an alluring idea: Bring a noted technologist like… Continue Reading

EFF Transition Memo to Trump Administration 2025

Contents  1. Introduction 2. Surveillance Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 Facial Recognition Technology Border Search and Immigration Surveillance Surveillance Tech at the Border and the Virtual Wall Reproductive Justice and Digital Surveillance 2. Encryption and Cybersecurity End-to-End Encryption Client-Side Scanning and Other Recent U.S. Attempts At Encryption Backdoors Government Cybersecurity 4. Consumer Privacy Consumer… Continue Reading

Army, Navy remove web pages highlighting women’s military service

Military Times: “A page devoted to women’s service in the U.S. Navy was removed in February by the Navy History and Heritage Command and replaced by a “page not found” message. (Screenshot/NHHC) In an effort to align with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that terminated diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives across the… Continue Reading

Social Security News

Social Security News. A service of Hall & Rouse, P.C./© Charles T. Hall. Includes primary documents from DOGE and OPM, emails and chats from/to Social Security employees, author commentary, and articles from reliable media reporting on the fast moving actions to fire, using illegal terminations, as many staff and leadership as possible, around the country.… Continue Reading

How Elon Musk Executed His Takeover of the Federal Bureaucracy

The New York Times – no paywall: “It was driven with a frenetic focus by Mr. Musk, who channeled his libertarian impulses and resentment of regulatory oversight of his vast business holdings into a singular position of influence. Without ceding control of his companies, the richest man in the world has embedded his engineers and… Continue Reading