MIT Technology Review: “If America’s politicians really care about the damage online platforms can do, they should look at online conspiracy theories—and how they’re made worse by the design of social media sites…Platforms have too much power to sway public opinion and influence behavior—and that directly affects our capacity to engage in deliberative debate and… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Employment Effects of Unemployment Insurance Generosity During the Pandemic
Employment Effects of Unemployment Insurance Generosity During the Pandemic. Joseph Altonji, Zara Contractor, Lucas Finamor, Ryan Haygood, Ilse Lindenlaub, Costas Meghir, Cormac O’Dea, Dana Scott, Liana Wang, and Ebonya Washington, Tobin Center for Economic Policy Yale University. July 14, 2020. Abstract: “The CARES Act expanded unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by providing a $600 weekly payment… Continue Reading
How to watch John Lewis’s funeral and Barack Obama’s reported eulogy live online
FastCompany – “The private burial service for civil rights icon John Lewis takes place today in Atlanta. Lewis passed away earlier this month at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer. Lewis was one of the most prominent civil rights icons from the 1960s onwards, and since then he has served in public office in… Continue Reading
Find a Member of Congress by Address on Congress.gov
In Custodia Legis: “In June, Margaret shared that we had added district maps to member profile pages on Congress.gov. Each map on a member profile can be expanded to show a larger size version of the map. With today’s update to Congress.gov, we build upon the district maps by adding a new search box to help you… Continue Reading
Majority of Public Favors Giving Civilians the Power to Sue Police Officers for Misconduct
Pew – Little public support for cuts in spending on local policing – “With legislation to address racism and the use of excessive force by law enforcement stalled in Congress, there is broad public support in the United States for permitting citizens to sue police officers in order to hold them accountable for misconduct or… Continue Reading
Trump weakens environmental law to speed up permits for pipelines and other infrastructure
CNBC: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday finalized a rollback to the country’s landmark environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act, by speeding up approval for federal projects like pipelines, highways and power plants. NEPA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago and requires federal agencies to consider the environmental consequences of infrastructure projects before… Continue Reading
Federal workers are returning to the office
Washington Post – Some members of Congress say they shouldn’t be. “With the number of coronavirus cases increasing across much of the country, leading members of Congress on civil service issues are challenging orders by federal agencies for teleworking federal employees to return to their regular worksites. “I think we have to press the pause… Continue Reading
Programs to Collect Data on Law Enforcement Activities: Overview and Issues
CRS report via LC – Programs to Collect Data on Law Enforcement Activities: Overview and Issues, July 6, 2020: “The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN,while he was in the custody of law enforcement, and several other recent high-profile deaths of African Americans at the hands of police,have generated interest in legislation to reform… Continue Reading
Federal government moving ahead with removing protections for birds under Migratory Bird Treaty Act
“From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology e-newsletter: Public Comment Period Open: The federal government is moving ahead with removing protections for birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The American Ornithological Society has this summary, and you can provide public comments through July 20. The AOS statement (July 1) begins: In March, we published a blog post on the Migratory Bird… Continue Reading
Stimulus check update, status, amount, eligibility
CNET – Everything to know about the IRS payment – “Answers to all your stimulus payment questions are here. Find out how much of the $1,200 you could receive, see if the IRS has scheduled your 2020 check yet, learn when your money will arrive and more…We’ll help you understand: If you’re eligible to receive… Continue Reading
Knowledge Mismanagement – How the Virus Won
The New York Times – article and infographics – “Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs. We analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control…How the First Outbreaks Spread – Top federal health experts concluded by late February that the virus… Continue Reading
“No-Knock” Warrants and Other Law Enforcement Identification Considerations
CRS Sidebar via LC – “No-Knock”Warrants and Other Law Enforcement Identification Considerations, June 23, 2020: “In the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd while in police custody, some Members of Congress have expressed interest in passing legislation that would alter the policing practices of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. One… Continue Reading
