Monthly archives: April, 2017

HBR – Should Antitrust Regulators Stop Companies from Collecting So Much Data?

Joe Kennedy, Harvard Business Review, April 17, 2017: “Innovation has always required a constant iteration of trial and error as companies use data about current performance to improve future performance. So it should come as no surprise that companies in the information age want to use ever more data to hone their products. But there is …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Economy, Financial System, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance

“Watch the Museum’s Days of Remembrance ceremony in the US Capitol Rotunda featuring a keynote address by President Donald Trump. The president will be joined by Holocaust survivors, liberators, members of Congress, the diplomatic corps, and community leaders. #USHMM #HolocaustRemembrance” Watch Live – Tuesday, April 25, 11 a.m. ET See also via the BBC – …

Subjects: Civil Liberties

Are the discounts real – online retailers through the looking glass

The Atlantice – Will you pay more for those shoes before 7 p.m.? Would the price tag be different if you lived in the suburbs? Standard prices and simple discounts are giving way to far more exotic strategies, designed to extract every last dollar from the consumer. “…the immense data trail you leave behind whenever …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Economy, Internet, Knowledge Management

Under Trump: Civil Lawsuits Up To Redress Immigration Action and Inaction

“The latest available case-by-case records from the federal courts show that as of the end of March 2017, 763 new civil immigration lawsuits have been filed in disputes involving immigration matters since January 20, 2017. Under President Trump, monthly filings in March were up 40.5 percent when compared with those of the same period in …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Legal Research

NYT – How Google Cashes In on the Space Right Under the Search Bar

The New York Times tracks Google’s transition From Search to Sales: “In the 17 years since Google introduced text-based advertising above search results, the company has allocated more space to ads and created new forms of them. The ad creep on Google has pushed “organic” (unpaid) search results farther down the screen, an effect even …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Internet, Search Engines

Axios – New Executive orders in the pipeline impact energy, environment, VA

Axios Sneak Peak: Here are the executive orders coming this week, per a White House source with direct knowledge: “Executive Order Improving Accountability and Whistleblower Protections at the Department of Veterans Affairs”: “This Executive Order will establish, in the Department of Veterans Affairs, an Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. The Office will help the …

Subjects: Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legal Research

Now users can download search results from Congress.gov

“The Congress.gov legislative database now has the ability to download search results. Anytime you do a search, anywhere in Congress.gov, you will see a “Download Results” link next to “Save this Search” link in the upper left corner. This will produce a .csv file that can be opened by a spreadsheet application.”  For more information …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries

Putting a value on injuries to natural assets: The BP oil spill

Putting a value on injuries to natural assets: The BP oil spill. Science  21 Apr 2017: Vol. 356, Issue 6335, pp. 253-254. DOI: 10.1126/science.aam8124 “When large-scale accidents cause catastrophic damage to natural or cultural resources, government and industry are faced with the challenge of assessing the extent of damages and the magnitude of restoration that …

Subjects: Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Financial System, Legal Research

Report Provides Blueprint Of How Memory Can Be Improved When It’s Lagging

Kaiser Health News: “A new study looks at the effects of electrical stimulation on the brain, and how those pulses can improve and impair memory.” The New York Times: ‘Pacemaker’ For The Brain Can Help Memory, Study Finds  – Well-timed pulses from electrodes implanted in the brain can enhance memory in some people, scientists reported …

Subjects: Health Care, Knowledge Management, Medicine