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Daily Archives: March 19, 2014

New Field Guide Explores Open Data Innovations in Disaster Risk and Resilience

World Bank: “From Indonesia to Bangladesh to Nepal, community members armed with smartphones and GPS systems are contributing to some of the most extensive and versatile maps ever created, helping inform policy and better prepare their communities for disaster risk. In Jakarta, more than 500 community members have been trained to collect data on thousands of hospitals, schools, private buildings, and critical infrastructure. In Sri Lanka, government and academic volunteers mapped over 30,000 buildings and 450 km of roadways using a collaborative online resource called OpenStreetMaps. These are just a few of the projects that have been catalyzed by the Open Data for Resilience Initiative (OpenDRI), developed by the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Launched in 2011, OpenDRI is active in more than 20 countries today, mapping tens of thousands of buildings and urban infrastructure, providing more than 1,000 geospatial datasets to the public, and developing innovative application tools.  To expand this work, the World Bank Group has launched the OpenDRI Field Guide as a showcase of successful projects and a practical guide for governments and other organizations to shape their own open data programs.”

New Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Hearing

Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board – “Committed to the protection of civil liberties and privacy in the nation’s efforts against terrorism” 19 March Hearing – Agenda, Witness Testimony Now Available See also ComputerWorld: “A U.S. National Security Agency surveillance program focused on overseas telephone and email communications is targeted and narrow, and not the bulk collection… Continue Reading

White House Launches Climate Data Initiative

News release: “…we are launching the Climate Data Initiative, an ambitious new effort bringing together extensive open government data and design competitions with commitments from the private and philanthropic sectors to develop data-driven planning and resilience tools for local communities. This effort will help give communities across America the information and tools they need to… Continue Reading

Analysis: The FCC’s Remand Docket sets right legal and policy direction to preserve Open Internet

“The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a report today analyzing the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rewrite its Open Internet Order under the Section 706 authority established in recent ruling of the United States Court of Appeals for the District Of Columbia Circuit. Applying principles derived from a number of well-known… Continue Reading

EPIC – Google Admits to Data-Mining Student Emails

“In a sworn statement filed with a federal court, Google has admitted to scanning student emails to serve students targeted advertisements. Although Google does not display ads in Apps for Education, Google “does scan [student] email” to “compile keywords for advertising” on Google sites. Google has gained access to student emails pursuant to the Education Department’s recently revised… Continue Reading

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement

News release: “Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in January indicates that growth in economic activity slowed during the winter months, in part reflecting adverse weather conditions. Labor market indicators were mixed but on balance showed further improvement. The unemployment rate, however, remains elevated. Household spending and business fixed investment continued to… Continue Reading

Regulatory & Risk Management Burden Grows Heavier for U.S. Banks and Credit Unions

“U.S. banks and credit unions are carrying a much heavier regulatory and risk management burden than they were a year ago. That’s according to the results of the latest Regulatory & Risk Management Indicator for the U.S. banking industry issued today by Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, a comprehensive provider of risk management, compliance, finance and audit solutions and… Continue Reading

EBRI’s 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey: Confidence Rebounds—for Those With Retirement Plans

March 2014 EBRI Issue Brief #397 Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2014.  Executive Summary “The percentage of workers confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement, at record lows between 2009 and 2013, increased in 2014. Eighteen percent are now very confident (up from 13 percent in 2013), while 37 percent are somewhat confident. Twenty-four percent are… Continue Reading

GAO Report – Whistleblower Protection Program

WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION PROGRAM: Opportunities Exist for OSHA and DOT to Strengthen Collaborative Mechanisms, GAO-14-286: Published: Mar 19, 2014. Publicly Released: Mar 19, 2014: ” The number of transportation-related whistleblower claims filed with OSHA has increased in the last 6 years—from 508 in fiscal year 2008 to 821 in fiscal year 2013—and GAO’s interviews with transportation industry stakeholders identified… Continue Reading