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Monthly Archives: July 2020

Major new climate study rules out less severe global warming scenarios

Washington Post: “The current pace of human-caused carbon emissions is increasingly likely to trigger irreversible damage to the planet, according to a comprehensive international study released Wednesday. Researchers studying one of the most important and vexing topics in climate science — how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to a doubling of the amount of carbon… Continue Reading

Lockdown was the longest period of quiet in recorded human history

MIT Technology Review: “When lockdown started in March, the world went instantly, strangely silent. City streets emptied. Joggers and families disappeared from parks. Construction projects froze. Stores closed. Now a network of seismic monitoring stations around the world has quantified this unprecedented period of quiet. The resulting research into “seismic silence,” published in Science today,… Continue Reading

Why Hundreds of Mathematicians Are Boycotting Predictive Policing

Popular Mechanics – “Several prominent academic mathematicians want to sever ties with police departments across the U.S., according to a letter submitted to Notices of the American Mathematical Society on June 15. The letter arrived weeks after widespread protests against police brutality, and has inspired over 1,500 other researchers to join the boycott. These mathematicians… Continue Reading

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 26, 2020

Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 26, 2020 – Privacy and security issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the… Continue Reading

COVID-19 Law Lab

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the COVID-19 Law Lab in association with other major international organizations. The COVID-19 Law Lab is a database of laws that countries have implemented in response to the pandemic. It includes state of emergency declarations, quarantine measures, disease surveillance, legal measures relating to mask-wearing, social distancing, and access to medication… Continue Reading

COVID Money Tracker

“The novel coronavirus (COVID) pandemic and resulting economic crisis has been met with an unprecedented policy response. Through legislative, administrative, and Federal Reserve actions, policymakers are currently working to pour trillions of dollars into the economy. COVID Money Tracker is a new initiative of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget focused on identifying these dollars and tracking… Continue Reading

COVID-19 Has Allowed Law Librarians to Flex Their Tech Prowess

Law.com – “Newly appointed American Association of Law Libraries president Emily Florio discusses how COVID-19 is allowing law librarians to shatter myths about their capabilities. On Monday, Hogan Lovells U.S. senior research services manager Emily Florio was formally elevated to president of the American Association of Law Libraries. Last week, AALL held its all-virtual conference… Continue Reading

The NYPD Files – Search Thousands of Complaints Against NYPD Officers

“We just published a searchable database of thousands of civilian complaints against New York City police officers, WITH their names….by Derek Willis, Eric Umansky and Moiz Syed, July 26, 2020. After New York state repealed a law that kept police disciplinary records secret, ProPublica sought records from the civilian board that investigates complaints by the… Continue Reading

Coronavirus Numbers Confusing You? Here’s How to Make Sense of Them

NextGov: “Turn on the TV news, or look at a news website, and you’ll see charts, graphics, and dashboards that supposedly indicate the latest with COVID-19 – statistics revealing the number of tests, cases, hospitalizations and deaths, along with where they happened and whether they are rising or falling. Different stories are told depending on… Continue Reading

Google Fonts

“Making the web more beautiful, fast, and open through great typography – We believe the best way to bring personality and performance to websites and products is through great design and technology. Our goal is to make that process simple, by offering an intuitive and robust collection of open source designer web fonts. By using… Continue Reading

Why you need a coronavirus care plan and how to make one

MarketWatch – “…At any stage of life, a medical crisis might render you unable to make health care choices. Because of visitor restrictions to health care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, it will be harder for family or other advocates to be present. Sometimes decisions have to be made quickly. That said, doctors often don’t know a… Continue Reading

WSJ Journalists Ask Publisher for Clearer Distinction Between News and Opinion Content

WSJ.com – Letter to publisher Almar Latour cites concerns about Opinion section’s accuracy and transparency – “A group of journalists at The Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones NWS 0.24% staffers sent a letter on Tuesday to the paper’s new publisher, Almar Latour, calling for a clearer differentiation between news and opinion content online,… Continue Reading