Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: December 21, 2020

Congress passed $900 billion coronavirus relief bill

Axios – “The House on Monday released the text of a $900 billion coronavirus relief package and $1.4 trillion government spending bill that Congress expects to pass before the holidays. The House will move quickly to pass the bill on Monday night, with the Senate likely to stay late to vote in the early hours of Tuesday morning. This gives lawmakers and their staff just hours to review a 5,593-page bill — one of the largest rescue packages in U.S. history….The package includes:

  • $600 stimulus checks per adult and child.
  • $300 per week in enhanced unemployment insurance for 11 weeks.
  • $319 billion for small businesses, including $284 billion for loans given through the Paycheck Protection Program, $20 billion in EIDL Grants, and $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.
  • $25 billion in rental assistance and an extension of the eviction moratorium.
  • $13 billion in increased SNAP and child nutrition benefits.
  • $82 billion in education, with $10 billion dedicated to child care.
  • $7 billion to increase access to broadband.
  • Billions for vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing.
  • Language ending surprise billing for emergency and scheduled care.
  • A tax credit for employers offering paid sick leave and extends the Employee Retention Tax Credit.
  • $4 billion for GAVI, the international vaccine alliance.”

IMF – Your Credit Score Should Be Based on Your Web History

Gizmodo: “With more services than ever collecting your data, it’s easy to start asking why anyone should care about most of it. This is why. Because people start having ideas like this. In a new blog post for the International Monetary Fund, four researchers presented their findings from a working paper that examines the current… Continue Reading

GPO To Close Brick and Mortar Bookstore in Washington DC

“The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) will permanently close its brick-and-mortar bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW in Washington, DC on January 4, 2021. After lengthy consideration, GPO, in consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing and its congressional oversight committees, determined that the bookstore is no longer financially viable due to changes in… Continue Reading

This New Interactive Map Will Answer All Your COVID-19 Travel Restriction Questions

thrillist: “Although the CDC is advising against all travel due to the latest COVID-19 surge, that’s not to say folks won’t hop a flight this holiday season. And while we should do what Dr. Fauci says, if you’re planning to jet off and see the fam, you might want to check in on local restrictions… Continue Reading

What Restaurants and Maps Can Tell us About Billions of Dollars of Covid-19 Relief Funds

bellingcat: “In the wake of the first wave of coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns in early 2020, governments around the world scrambled funds to support furloughed workers and keep businesses afloat. These programs distributed a huge amount of money and succeeded in many of their goals. Not only that, they did so in rapid time. However,… Continue Reading

How U.S. agencies’ trust in untested software opened the door to hackers

Politico – The government doesn’t do much to verify the security of software from private contractors. And that’s how suspected Russian hackers got in: “The massive monthslong hack of agencies across the U.S. government succeeded, in part, because no one was looking in the right place. The federal government conducts only cursory security inspections of… Continue Reading

Civil rights groups move to block expansion of facial recognition in airports

The Verge: “A coalition of civil rights groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union have filed an objection to the proposed expansion of Customs and Border Protections facial recognition at land and sea ports. The National Immigration Law Center, Fight for the Future, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are also participating in the motion,… Continue Reading

House watchdog details extensive meddling with CDC Covid-19 reports

New documents show political appointees sought to influence at least 13 reports as they ignored warnings from career officials: “The House panel probing the Trump administration’s coronavirus response released new documents detailing political appointees’ extensive efforts to modify or scuttle scientific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, as it also ordered top Trump health… Continue Reading