The public health reason to stop worrying and love the city supply. Imagine seeing a news report about lead contamination in drinking water in a community that looks like yours. It might make you think twice about whether to drink your tap water or serve it to your kids – especially if you also have… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2021
Why garden? – Attitudes and the perceived health benefits of home gardening
Cities. Volume 112, May 2021, 103118. “Domestic (home) gardens provide opportunities for psychological and physical health benefits, yet these environments have received less attention in terms of their therapeutic value compared to other urban green spaces. This is despite their ubiquity and the popularity of gardening as a pastime. This research explored why residents engaged… Continue Reading
TIME 100 Most Influential Companies
TIME: “Which companies are shaping our future? That’s the question at the heart of our first ever TIME 100 Most Influential Companies, a new list—and an expansion of our iconic TIME100 franchise—that highlights businesses making an extraordinary impact around the world. To assemble it, TIME solicited nominations across sectors including health care, entertainment, transportation, technology… Continue Reading
Tax Evasion at the Top of the Income Distribution – Theory and Evidence
NBER Paper – “This paper studies tax evasion at the top of the U.S. income distribution using IRS micro-data from (i) random audits, (ii) targeted enforcement activities, and (iii) operational audits. Drawing on this unique combination of data, we demonstrate empirically that random audits underestimate tax evasion at the top of the income distribution. Specifically,… Continue Reading
Rare chunks of Earth’s mantle found exposed in Maryland
National Geographic – “The set of rocks strewn throughout Baltimore likely represent a slice of prehistoric seafloor from a now-vanished ocean…Standing among patches of muddy snow on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland, I bent down to pick up a piece of the planet that should have been hidden miles below my feet. On that chilly… Continue Reading
Here Are 458 California Law Enforcement Agencies’ Policy Documents All in One Place
EFF: “At this moment in history, law enforcement agencies in the United States face a long-overdue reevaluation of their priorities, practices, and processes for holding police officers accountable for both unconscious biases and overt abuse of power. But any examination of law enforcement requires transparency first: the public’s ability to examine what those priorities, practices,… Continue Reading
The Role of Lawyers and Law Schools in Fostering Civil Public Debate
Amar, Vikram D. and Robbennolt, Jennifer K., The Role of Lawyers and Law Schools in Fostering Civil Public Debate (March 3, 2021). Connecticut Law Review, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2021, University of Illinois College of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 21-06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3797189 “Partisanship can make policy discussion and civil debate difficult.… Continue Reading
CDC – Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
CDC Guidance For Fully Vaccinated People along with a one page infographic [h/t Pete Weiss] Overview Guiding Principles for Fully Vaccinated People Recommendations for Visiting with Others in Indoor Private Settings Recommendations for Large Gatherings Recommendations for Other Personal or Social Activities Outside the Home Recommendations for Travel Recommendations for Isolation, Quarantine and Testing See… Continue Reading
Would you notice if fake news changed your behavior?
Computers in Human Behavior Volume 116, March 2021, 106633 – An experiment on the unconscious effects of disinformation – “A growing literature is emerging on the believability and spread of disinformation, such as fake news, over social networks. However, little is known about the degree to which malicious actors can use social media to covertly… Continue Reading
Apportionment and Redistricting Following the 2020 Census
CRS Insight – Apportionment and Redistricting Following the 2020 Census, April 27, 2021: “…The Clerk of the House sends each governor a certificate indicating a state’s number of Representatives within 15 calendar days of receiving the President’s apportionment message. Each state receives the number of Representatives noted in the President’s statement, beginning at the start… Continue Reading
USPTO chief information officer most excited about new search algorithms
FedScoop – “New search algorithms for relevant prior art most excite the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s CIO right now. USPTO created the machine-learning algorithms to increase the speed at which patents are examined by importing relevant prior art — all information on its claim of originality — into pending applications sent to art units, said Jamie Holcombe. Filtering… Continue Reading
To Be Tracked or Not? Apple Is Now Giving Us the Choice
The New York Times – “On Monday, Apple released iOS 14.5, one of its most anticipated software updates for iPhones and iPads in years. It includes a new privacy tool, App Tracking Transparency, which could give us more control over how our data is shared. Here’s how it works: When an app wants to follow… Continue Reading
