Day archives: March 21st, 2019

CRS – Special Counsel Investigations: History, Authority, Appointment and Removal

Via FAS: Special Counsel Investigations: History, Authority, Appointment and Removal, Updated March 13, 2019 “The Constitution vests Congress with the legislative power, which includes authority to establish federal agencies and conduct oversight of those entities. Criminal investigations and prosecutions, however, are generally regarded as core executive functions assigned to the executive branch. Because of the …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research

CRS – Congressional Access to the President’s Federal Tax Returns

Secrecy News: “By refusing to disclose his tax returns, President Trump has breached — and may have demolished — the longstanding norm under which sitting presidents and presidential candidates are expected to voluntarily disclose their federal tax returns. At the same time, there is reason to think that new norms of disclosure can be created. …

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

NOAA – Historic, widespread flooding to continue through May

“Nearly two-thirds of the Lower 48 states face an elevated risk for flooding through May, with the potential for major or moderate flooding in 25 states, according to NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook issued today. The majority of the country is favored to experience above-average precipitation this spring, increasing the flood risk. Portions of the United …

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law, Government Documents

Harvard and MIT Fund Deepfake Detection, Government Transparency AI Tools

“Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology joined forces to award $750,000 to seven organizations, including ones that help detect deepfakes and promote open access of government data. Last week, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and the MIT Media Lab announced seven winners of their first “AI and the News: An Open …

Subjects: AI, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

New paid Apple News service said to feature The Wall Street Journal

The New York Times: ““The Wall Street Journal plans to join a new paid subscription news service run by Apple, according to two people familiar with the plans, as other publishers chafe at the terms that the Silicon Valley company is demanding of its partners,” Mike Isaac reports for The New York Times. “Other major …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Knowledge Management

Public Sees an America in Decline on Many Fronts

Looking to the Future, Public Sees an America in Decline on Many Fronts – Majorities predict a weaker economy, a growing income divide, a degraded environment and a broken political system “When Americans peer 30 years into the future, they see a country in decline economically, politically and on the world stage. While a narrow …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Environmental Law, Financial System, Health Care

Seeing Justice Done: The Impact of the Judge on Sentencing

“The recent sentencing of Paul Manafort by federal judges in two different district courts has renewed interest in the sentencing practices of individual judges. Countless studies over the years have documented a basic fact: while decisions should be determined by the law and the facts, in reality there is a third very important force at …

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

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