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Daily Archives: May 15, 2017

Annual Survey of State Government Finances

“The 2015 Annual Survey of State Government Finances provides a comprehensive summary of annual survey findings for state governments. The findings show revenues, expenditures, debt, and cash and security holdings for each state, as well as a national summary of state government finances. The major source of these public finance statistics are the states’ own… Continue Reading

Defense Against the Dark Arts of Copyright Trolling

Sag, Matthew and Haskell, Jake, Defense Against the Dark Arts of Copyright Trolling (March 28, 2017). Iowa Law Review, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2933200 “In this Article, we offer both a legal and a pragmatic framework for defending against copyright trolls. Lawsuits alleging online copyright infringement by John Doe defendants have accounted for roughly half… Continue Reading

Americans Divided on Whether Recent Science Protests Will Benefit Scientists’ Causes

“In the wake of last month’s marches for science and climate in Washington and around the country, Americans are divided in their support of the events’ goals and their sense of whether it will make a difference. In particular, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that most Democrats and younger adults are convinced that… Continue Reading

24/7 Wall St – 15 Most Famous Cyberattacks of All Time

“The WannaCry ransomware attack has affected more than 200,000 computers in over 150 nations. The attack, which targets the Microsoft Windows operating system, has been described as one of the largest cyberattacks of all time. The malware encrypts files, demanding users of affected computers pay a ransom of $300 in bitcoin. The software behind WannaCry… Continue Reading

NOAA Fisheries Economics of US and ImprovedStatus of Stocks Reports

“Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the release of two new reports: the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries and the 2015 Fisheries Economics of the United States Report. These reports highlight the continued rebuilding and recovery of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S.… Continue Reading

GAO – Internet of Things: Status and implications of an increasingly connected world

Technology Assessment: Internet of Things: Status and implications of an increasingly connected world, GAO-17-75: Published: May 15, 2017. Publicly Released: May 15, 2017. “The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the technologies and devices that sense information and communicate it to the Internet or other networks and, in some cases, act on that information. These… Continue Reading

FTC updates consumers on ransomware

You’ve probably heard about the ransomware attack affecting organizations’ computer systems around the world. It seems to affect server software on organizations’ networked computers. But ransomware can attack anybody’s computer, so now is a good time to update your own operating system and other software. And then keep them up-to-date. The ransomware in the news… Continue Reading

Syria executing up to 50 “prisoners” each day using crematorium

The Washington Post – “At least 50 prisoners a day are being executed at the notorious Sednaya military prison outside Damascus, State Department officials said. Russia and Iran were accused of complicity in “atrocities.” The United States released aerial photos of the facility and said the information came from “intelligence assessments” and human rights groups.”… Continue Reading

WaPo Breaks News – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats

The Washington Post – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats – “The president’s disclosures to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in their Oval Office meeting last week jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State — an information-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and… Continue Reading

FAA Publishes First Set of UAS Facility Maps

“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today published more than 200 facility maps to streamline the commercial drone authorization process. The maps depict areas and altitudes near airports where UAS may operate safely. But drone operators still need FAA authorization to fly in those areas. This marks a key first step as the FAA and industry… Continue Reading