Day archives: May 12th, 2016

The Rise of Dark Money in US Elections

“Dark Money Watch, a project of MapLight, is a hub for information about dark money in U.S. elections. Our goal is to support investigations of dark money in order to help the public understand how hidden donors can influence our political system….Dark money comes from groups that are not required to disclose their donors. It …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management

Public Parks and Wellbeing in Urban Areas of the United States

Larson LR, Jennings V, Cloutier SA (2016) Public Parks and Wellbeing in Urban Areas of the United States. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0153211. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153211 “Sustainable development efforts in urban areas often focus on understanding and managing factors that influence all aspects of health and wellbeing. Research has shown that public parks and green space provide a …

Subjects: Economy, Environmental Law, Financial System, Knowledge Management

If These Canadians Lived in the United States, How Would They Protect Their Privacy?

Regan, Priscilla M. and Bennett, Colin and Bayley, Robin, If These Canadians Lived in the United States, How Would They Protect Their Privacy? The Functional Equivalence of Privacy Redress Mechanisms in Canada and the US (May 10, 2016). 2016 Privacy Law Scholars Conference, George Washington University, June 2-3, 2016. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2778070 “Recent commentary …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Commerce, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research, Privacy, Social Media

Annual Health Insurance Estimates Available for All U.S. Counties

“The estimated uninsured rate for working-age adults (age 18-64) decreased in 72.1 percent of the nation’s counties (or 2,262 counties) from 2013 to 2014, according to new statistics released today from the U.S. Census Bureau. For the total population under age 65, the estimated uninsured rate decreased in 74.1 percent of counties (or 2,325 counties) …

Subjects: Government Documents, Health Care

GAO Reports – DC Local Budget Autonomy; DOD Advertising, Human Rights Vetting for Egypt, Medicare Advantage, USPS, Medicaid

District of Columbia: Local Budget Autonomy Amendment Act of 2012, GAO-16-663T: Published: May 12, 2016. Publicly Released: May 12, 2016. DOD Advertising: Better Coordination, Performance Measurement, and Oversight Needed to Help Meet Recruitment Goals, GAO-16-396: Published: May 12, 2016. Publicly Released: May 12, 2016. Security Assistance: U.S. Government Should Strengthen End-Use Monitoring and Human Rights …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care

EPA National Wetland Condition Assessment 2016

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released the first-ever National Wetland Condition Assessment, showing that nearly half of the nation’s wetlands are in good health [Question – is the glass half full or half empty], while 20 percent are in fair health and the remaining 32 percent in poor health. The National Wetland Condition …

Subjects: E-Government, Economy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legal Research

Multiple data security breaches reported by FDIC

Washington Post: “In yet another example of fragile security in federal cyber systems, data for 44,000 Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. customers were breached by an employee leaving the agency. The breach occurred in February and was outlined in an internal FDIC memorandum obtained by The Washington Post. The March 18 memo from Lawrence Gross Jr., …

Subjects: Congress, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Records, Financial System, Government Documents, ID Theft, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy