Monthly archives: October, 2019

Trump’s impeachment process will keep U.S fact-checkers busy

Poynter: “For the fourth time in history, a  United States president faces an impeachment. But this marks the first time an investigation like this will take place amid a tsunami of false news on social media. Fact-checkers have built creative strategies to surf this wave. On Sept. 24, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced …

Subjects: Congress, E-Records, Financial System, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

Proposals for Reform Volume II: National Task Force on Rule of Law & Democracy

The second National Task Force report on the Rule of Law & Democracy outlines how to curb political interference in government science and fix a broken appointments process. “In recent years, the norms and expectations that once ensured that our government was guided primarily by the public interest rather than by individual or partisan interest …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legal Research

Where do the tech giants send your data?

ZDNet – “…Recent changes to the law made user data a hot topic. New data protection laws like GDPR have forced technology companies to become much more transparent about the ways they use your data and how they are sharing it with global governments. Tech companies publish transparency reports that show where they send their …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Commerce, E-Mail, E-Records, EU Data Protection, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

GAO launches New Science & Tech Spotlights

GAO WatchBlog: “GAO has launched a new line of science and tech quick reads, 2-pagers providing brief overviews of key topics in the field. To complement our more in-depth evaluations and assessments, these “Science & Tech Spotlights” summarize emerging innovations and the relevant policy context. In today’s WatchBlog we provide a thumbnail sketch of the …

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

Impeachment Investigations: Law and Process

CRS report via LC – Impeachment Investigations: Law and Process October 2, 2019:  “Speaker Pelosi announced last week that the House “is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.” Although the Speaker’s statement did not address precisely how the House will proceed, it is noteworthy not only because the House has so rarely investigated a …

Subjects: Congress, Legal Research

Both the Inspector General and the Whistleblower Followed the Law

POGO – “In the swirl of the news cycle about revelations coming from an intelligence whistleblower and misguided but predictable attacks on them, we want to set some facts straight. The whistleblower’s complaint documented his urgent concern that President Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate his political opponent Joe Biden and his son …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research

NARA’s Record Group Explorer: A New Path into NARA’s Holdings

National Archives: “With billions of pages of records, there’s no question that the holdings of the National Archives are vast. The breadth can be intimidating to researchers and online users, especially first-time users, who may not have familiarity with the organization and management of archival material. One of NARA’s strategic objectives for improving access to …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research, Search Engines

Government Agrees to Preserve Records of Talks with Foreign Leaders

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director Noah Bookbinder released the following statement: “Following our request yesterday for a temporary restraining order against President Trump and the Executive Office of the President mandating them to preserve records of the president’s communications and meetings with foreign leaders, the government has agreed to preserve …

Subjects: Courts, E-Records, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

The Supreme Court showdown over LGBTQ discrimination, explained

Vox – “The Supreme Court will hear three cases next Tuesday that ask whether it is legal to fire workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That alone is enough to make them three of the most important employment discrimination cases in many years. But there are additional layers to these cases, layers …

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

Want to Time Travel Back to the 80s? Visit a Prison “Typing Room”

The Marshall Project – “Most federal prisons have a designated area for inmates to pursue legal work: a legal library/typing room. Though we are in the 21st century and digital tech is everywhere, the Bureau of Prisons, or BOP, is dead set, come hell or high water, on keeping legal libraries/typing rooms firmly lodged in …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Legal Research, Libraries