Day archives: June 26th, 2015

GAO Report – Recent Data Breaches Illustrate Need for Strong Controls across Federal Agencies

Cybersecurity: Recent Data Breaches Illustrate Need for Strong Controls across Federal Agencies, GAO-15-725T: Published: Jun 24, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 24, 2015 “GAO has identified a number of challenges federal agencies face in addressing threats to their cybersecurity, including the following: Designing and implementing a risk-based cybersecurity program. Enhancing oversight of contractors providing IT services. …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Mail, E-Records, Government Documents, ID Theft, Internet, Privacy

GAO Reports – Accessible Communications, Bank Regulation, Chemical and Biological Defense, Combating Terrorism, DHS IT Contracting

Accessible Communications: FCC Should Evaluate the Effectiveness of Its Public Outreach Efforts, GAO-15-574: Published: Jun 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2015. Bank Regulation: Lessons Learned and a Framework for Monitoring Emerging Risks and Regulatory Response, GAO-15-365: Published: Jun 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2015. Chemical and Biological Defense: Designated Entity Needed to Identify, …

Subjects: Cybersecurity, Defense, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

Americans’ Internet Access: 2000-2015

Pew – As internet use nears saturation for some groups, a look at patterns of adoption:”A new analysis of 15 years-worth of data highlights several key trends: For some groups, especially young adults, those with high levels of education, and those in more affluent households, internet penetration is at full saturation levels. For other groups, …

Subjects: Economy, Education, Internet, Knowledge Management

Report documents extensive drought in western states

Follow up to previous posting – California Curtails Senior Water Rights via ProPublica – California’s Drought Is Part of a Much Bigger Water Crisis. Here’s What You Need to Know, by Abrahm Lustgarten, Lauren Kirchner and Amanda Zamora. June 25, 2015. “Why do I keep hearing about the California drought, if it’s the Colorado River …

Subjects: Climate Change, Economy, Environmental Law

HHS OIG Reports Fraud Abuse in Cost of Drugs Under Medicare

HHS OIG Data Brief • June 2015 • OEI-02-15-00190. Questionable Billing and Geographic Hotspots Point to Potential Fraud and Abuse in Medicare Part D: “More than 1,400 pharmacies had questionable billing for Part D drugs in 2014 A total of 1,432 retail pharmacies billed extremely high amounts for at least one of the five measures …

Subjects: Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Medicine

CFPB consumer complaint database

“[June 25, 2015] the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) [went] live with an enhanced public-facing consumer complaint database. It includes for the first time over 7,700 consumer accounts of problems they are facing with financial companies concerning mortgages, bank accounts, credit cards, debt collection, and more. The CFPB is also publishing a Request for Information …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Legislation

Job Opening – New Librarian of Congress

The Atlantic – Robinson Meyer: Experts say that a new librarian should digitize more works, raise more money—and use email. “The current librarian, James Billington, has held the title since his appointment by President Reagan in 1987. Though named by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the Librarian doesn’t change with every new White …

Subjects: Copyright, E-Government, E-Mail, E-Records, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries, Social Media

Study – smartphones diminish attention span

A Microsoft study highlights the deteriorating attention span of humans, saying it has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds: “According to scientists, the age of smartphones has left humans with such a short attention span even a goldfish can hold a thought for longer. Researchers surveyed 2,000 participants in Canada and studied …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management

National Journal – Mapping Gay Marriage Since 1996

From No States to All of Them: Mapping Gay Marriage Since 1996 How same-sex marriage became legal in the United States, by National Journal Graphics Staff: “A day ago, same-sex marriage was legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Now, it’s legal in all 50. The Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

“On June 25, 2015, Secretary Kerry submitted the 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (commonly known as the Human Rights Reports) to the U.S. Congress. The reports, now in their 39th year, are available at State.gov/humanrightsreports and HumanRights.gov/reports. Mandated by Congress, the Human Rights Reports help inform U.S. government policy and foreign assistance. They …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Defense, Government Documents, Legal Research

Paper – The Oligopoly of Academic Publishers in Digital Era

PLOS ONE Open Access – “The consolidation of the scientific publishing industry has been the topic of much debate within and outside the scientific community, especially in relation to major publishers’ high profit margins. However, the share of scientific output published in the journals of these major publishers, as well as its evolution over time …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Intellectual Property, Internet, Knowledge Management, Libraries

Thank you!