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Daily Archives: May 19, 2015

Gallup Poll – increased support for animal rights in US

Gallup – In US More Say Animals Should Have Same Rights as People – May 18, 2015. – “Almost a third of Americans, 32%, believe animals should be given the same rights as people, while 62% say they deserve some protection but can still be used for the benefit of humans. The strong animal rights view is up from 2008 when 25% thought animals’ rights should be on par with humans’ Very few Americans, 3%, believe animals require little protection from harm and exploitation “since they are just animals.” But, as noted, a modestly increasing minority now believe animals should have the same protection from harm and exploitation as people. Gallup first asked Americans about the rights of animals in 2003 and repeated the question in 2008 and again in the latest May 6-10, 2015, poll. The percentage of Americans who support the idea that animals’ rights should be equal to those of humans increased across all major U.S. demographic groups. Women remain more likely to support this view than men do, but support among both groups has increased by a similar amount since 2008. Similarly, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more supportive of this view than Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are, but both groups have seen an increase from the last time Gallup asked them. There continues to be little difference between younger and older Americans…”

Tort Liability and Taking Responsibility

Enoch, David, Tort Liability and Taking Responsibility (May 16, 2015). John Oberdeek (ed.) Philosophical foundations of the Law of Torts (OUP 2014). Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2607013 “Is anything missing, morally speaking, in a society that does not have any practice remotely resembling tort liability? If we take care of instrumental matters in some… Continue Reading

Tech giants communicate opposition to decrypted data for law enforcement

Washington Post, Ellen Nakashima: “Tech behemoths including Apple and Google and leading cryptologists are urging President Obama to reject any government proposal that alters the security of smartphones and other communications devices so that law enforcement can view decrypted data. In a letter to be sent Tuesday and obtained by The Washington Post, a coalition… Continue Reading

Class of 2015 Might Have a Little Better Luck Finding a Good Job

Liberty Street Economics – NY Fed –Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz, May 15, 2015: “With the college graduation season well under way, a new crop of freshly minted graduates is entering the job market and many bright young minds are hoping to land a good first job. It’s no wonder if they are approaching… Continue Reading

2015 Cars Gain MPGs, CAFE Goals in Reach if Gains Continue

“According to a new Consumer Federation of America analysis of 1,163 of this year’s new vehicles, fuel efficiency continues to increase for 2015 on a model by model basis. However, individual car company fleets, are backsliding on their overall fuel economy performance. From 2014 to 2015, the percent of vehicles with an Environmental Protection Agency… Continue Reading

2015 PMG Benchmark: IT and UX

“Alignment between IT and the business has progressed significantly according to the 2015 PMG IT and the UX Study. The survey of nearly 250 North American corporate IT professionals demonstrates that IT and business users are beginning to work together in a more cohesive manner. In fact, IT’s take on the mutual understanding of strategic… Continue Reading

Testimony on the Work of Congressional Budget Office

Testimony by CBO Director Keith Hall before the Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, May 19, 2015. “The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 instituted a formal process through which the Congress could develop, coordinate, and enforce its own budgetary priorities and created legislative institutions to implement the new Congressional budget process: the House and… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Afghanistan, Nutrition Assistance, Rural Housing, School Meals, Aviation Safety, Defense Contracting, Regulatory Guidance Process

Afghanistan: Embassy Construction Cost and Schedule Have Increased, and Further Facilities Planning Is Needed, GAO-15-410: Published: May 19, 2015. Publicly Released: May 19, 2015. Nutrition Assistance: Actions Needed to Address Potential Online Sales of Infant Formula, GAO-15-605T: Published: May 19, 2015. Publicly Released: May 19, 2015. Rural Housing Service: Progress on GAO Recommendations and Preliminary… Continue Reading