Pew Report – “Over the past year, there has been a substantial rise in the share of Americans — across racial and ethnic groups — who say the country needs to continue making changes to give blacks equal rights with whites, and a growing number of Americans view racism as a big problem in society.… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Commentary – The ADA at 25: Important Gains, but Gaps Remain
Follow up to previous posting – Americans with Disabilities Act – 25th Anniversary – via Knowledge@Wharton – “But the gains are less than desired in employment opportunities for people with disabilities, according to Frieden. “The ADA wasn’t intended to be an affirmative action law, so I am not surprised that companies haven’t been as aggressive… Continue Reading
The Next Great Copyright Office
Simmons, Joshua L., The Next Great Copyright Office (July 22, 2015). Landslide, July/August 2015, at 22. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2634535 “While Congress considers whether to update U.S. copyright law through the House of Representatives’ copyright review hearings, there appears to be a growing consensus that it is time to modernize the Copyright Office.… Continue Reading
New Features Added to Congress.gov
Robert Brammer, July 29, 2015 – LC Blog: “Since the unveiling of Congress.gov in September of 2012, we have been constantly adding new features with each release, and many of the features in this release are based directly on your feedback. Accessibility – We want to make Congress.gov more accessible, and our new feature, “Listen,”… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – BLM, Central America, DATA Act, International Trade, IRS Case Selection, Managing for Results, Motor Carrier Cases, Affordable Care Act
Bureau of Land Management: Improvements Needed in Internal Controls over Mining Law Administration Program Funds, GAO-15-562: Published: Jul 23, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2015. Central America: Improved Evaluation Efforts Could Enhance Agency Programs to Reduce Unaccompanied Child Migration, GAO-15-707: Published: Jul 29, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2015. DATA Act: Progress Made in Initial… Continue Reading
Statement by the ODNI on Retention of Data Collected Under Section 215 of USA PATRIOT Act
July 27, 2015: “On June 29, 2015, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved the Government’s application to resume the Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program pursuant to the USA FREEDOM Act’s 180-day transition provision. As part of our effort to transition to the new authority, we have evaluated whether NSA should maintain access to the… Continue Reading
Wireless carjackers can exploit vulnerabilities in cars, trucks, SUVs
Wired: “[Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek’s] full arsenal includes functions that at lower speeds fully kill the engine, abruptly engage the brakes, or disable them altogether. The most disturbing maneuver came when they cut the Jeep’s brakes, leaving me frantically pumping the pedal as the 2-ton SUV slid uncontrollably into a ditch. The researchers say… Continue Reading
Improving Program Management in the Federal Government
A White Paper by a Panel of the National Academy of Public Administration sponsored by the Project Management Institute July 2015 Improving. Program Management in the Federal Government. PANEL – Peter Marshall, Chair; Dan Chenok; Joseph Wholey. “…The recent high-profile failure of the Healthcare.gov launch is just one example from a long list of troubled… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – DOD Business Systems Modernization, Insider Threats, Patient Protection, Senate Public Records, Space Launch System
DOD Business Systems Modernization: Additional Action Needed to Achieve Intended Outcomes, GAO-15-627: Published: Jul 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2015. Insider Threats: DOD Should Improve Information Sharing and Oversight to Protect U.S. Installations, GAO-15-543: Published: Jul 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2015. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Observations on 18 Undercover Tests… Continue Reading
CRS Report – Women in Combat, Issues for Congress
Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, Kristy N. Kamarck, Analyst in Military Manpower. July 14, 2015. “Over the past two decades of conflict, women have served with valor and continue to serve on combat aircraft, naval vessels, and in support of ground combat operations. The expansion of roles for women in the armed forces has… Continue Reading
EPIC Urges Investigation of “Always On” Consumer Devices
“EPIC has asked the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to conduct a workshop on ‘Always-On’ Consumer Devices. EPIC described the increasing presence of internet-connected devices in consumer’s homes, such as TVs, toys, and thermostats, that routinely record and store private communications. EPIC urged the agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine… Continue Reading
Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions
CRS – Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions. Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy. June 30, 2015. “Although “too big to fail” (TBTF) has been a longstanding policy issue, it was highlighted by the near-collapse of several large financial firms in 2008. Financial firms are said to be TBTF when policy makers… Continue Reading
