Monthly archives: October, 2017

Social Explorer Report – Puerto Ricans in the United States

“Building on Social Explorer’s examination of Puerto Rico demographics, we turn to Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states. In the aftermath of the hurricane’s destruction, many are predicting that more Puerto Ricans will leave the island and resettle in the US, probably near friends and relatives already living there. This large migration, potentially bigger than any other in …

Subjects: Economy, Government Documents

Country Commercial Guides

“Market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs for over 125 countries prepared by trade and industry experts at U.S. embassies worldwide….Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global …

Subjects: E-Government, Economy, Financial System

Mass Shootings in the US, Gun Reform Law, Gun Control Facts

1. The Washington Post: The Math of Mass Shootings. 2. The Guardian: 1,516 mass shootings in 1,735 days: America’s gun crisis-in one chart. 3. USA Today: A Timeline of U.S. Mass Killings. 4. Shootingtracker – An ongoing online project chronicling every mass shooting on U.S. soil. 5. Mother Jones Investigation: U.S. Mass Shootings from 1982-2017. 6. Vox: Gun …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

26 Facts about Libraries

Via John Green – MentalFloss – “A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week (episode 158), John tells you about one of his favorite things, libraries (on YouTube). Lots of interesting historical facts as well as current information on how libraries are engaging with and leveraging technology to provide …

Subjects: Libraries

CRS – Ethics Pledges and Other Executive Branch Appointee Restrictions Since 1993

CRS report via FAS – Ethics Pledges and Other Executive Branch Appointee Restrictions Since 1993: Historical Perspective, Current Practices, and Options for Change, Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress. September 29, 2017. “On January 28, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.)13770 on ethics and lobbying. E.O. 13770 created an ethics pledge for …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

CRS – Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response

CRS report via FAS – Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response, Jon O. Shimabukuro, Legislative Attorney. September 29, 2017. “In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded in Roe v. Wade that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy. In Doe v. Bolton, a companion decision, the Court found that a state …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation

NYT – How Computers Turned Gerrymandering Into a Science

New York Times Sunday Review – “About as many Democrats live in Wisconsin as Republicans do. But you wouldn’t know it from the Wisconsin State Assembly, where Republicans hold 65 percent of the seats, a bigger majority than Republican legislators enjoy in conservative states like Texas and Kentucky. The United States Supreme Court is trying …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Legal Research

Publishers seek removal of millions of papers from ResearchGate

Academic social network accused of infringing copyright on a massive scale: “Leading publishers are stepping up their fight against ResearchGate by ordering the academic social network to take down papers that they say infringe copyright. The move could see millions of articles removed from the site, as the publishers say up to 40 per cent …

Subjects: Copyright, Knowledge Management, Libraries, Social Media

Survey – Ready or Not: Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Legal Departments

“Lawyers have long been characterized as technology Luddites who are slow to change and wary of innovation. For corporate counsel, though, this stereotype may be fading. According to the results of a new Thomson Reuters report, “Ready or Not: Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Legal Departments“, corporate counsel believe they are tech savvy but acknowledge that …

Subjects: AI, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Marketing

Revised Treatment of Transgender Employment Discrimination Claims Under Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964

October 4, 2017 MEMORANDUM TO: UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS, HEADS OF DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS, FROM: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL [Sessions]: “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate in the employment of an individual “because of such individual’s…sex.” 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a) (prohibiting discrimination by private employers and by state and …

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

Business Email Scams: Protecting Your Company’s Information

From the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, a succinct and very useful Infographic guide: “Business Email Compromise is a cyber threat targeted against businesses, both large and small, that typically involves a con artist targeting employees with access to company financial or sensitive documents. The scammers lead the employees to believe they are a …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Mail, Financial System, Government Documents, ID Theft