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Daily Archives: April 23, 2024

Nearly 2 in 5 Americans breathe unhealthy air

Washington Post: “A rising number of Americans — nearly 2 in 5 — has been living with unhealthy levels of air pollution, while the United States experienced a record number of days between 2020 and 2022 with very unhealthy or hazardous air, according to a new report. More than 90 million people are living in places where the air quality is worse than a new U.S. standard, the American Lung Association reported Wednesday in its annual State of the Air assessment, which detailed a significant increase based on the stricter national particle pollution standard. The total includes 72 million people who would not have been counted under the looser federal standard — reflecting the dramatic effect of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new limit, which was announced this year.”

The Man Who Killed Google Search

Where’s Your Ed Act via Metafilter – “Edward Zitron has been reading all of google’s internal emails that have been released as evidence in the DOJ’s antitrust case against google.  Zitron concludes that Google Search died on February 5th, 2019. It was on that date at Google’s HQ evil lair an emergency meeting, aka a… Continue Reading

The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Research in the Legal Profession

Biresaw, Samuel Maireg, The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Research in the Legal Profession (December 15, 2023). Upcoming in International Journal of Law and Society, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4727017 – “Legal research is an indispensable skill for lawyers. It is always necessary for lawyers to engage in legal research in due course to solve various legal… Continue Reading

Global Public Procurement Dataset

Data is Plural: “The Global Public Procurement Dataset provides standardized data on 72 million government contracts in 42 countries. The dataset, constructed from official sources by the Budapest-based Government Transparency Institute, represents $17 trillion in total procurement. It begins in the 2000s for most of the countries and concludes in 2021. For each contract, it… Continue Reading

10 Times as Much of This Toxic Pesticide Could End Up on Your Tomatoes and Celery

ProPublica – “Against the guidance of scientific advisory panels, the EPA is relying on industry-backed tests to relax regulations on acephate, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. “It’s exactly what we recommended against,” one panelist said. When you bite into a piece of celery, there’s a fair chance that it will be coated with… Continue Reading

404 page: the error sites of federal agencies

FedScoop: “Infusing a hint of humor or a dash of “whimsy” in government websites, including error messages, could humanize a federal agency to visitors. At least that’s how the National Park Service approaches its digital offerings, including its 404 page. “Even a utilitarian feature, such as a 404 page, can be fun — and potentially… Continue Reading

FTC’s Noncompete Rule: What You Should Know

Under the final Noncompete Rule, the FTC adopts a comprehensive ban on new noncompetes with all workers, including senior executives. The final rule provides that it is an unfair method of competition—and therefore a violation of Section 5—for employers to enter into noncompetes with workers. Note: The regulation’s effective date is 120 days after Federal… Continue Reading

Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

“Region-specific resources to aid in the planning, establishment, restoration, and maintenance of pollinator habitat. Welcome to the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center! Here we offer region-specific collections of publications, native plant and seed suppliers, and other resources to aid in planning, establishing, restoring, and maintaining pollinator habitat—as well as materials to help you learn about the… Continue Reading

How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On

The New York Times – “Kashmir Hill is a technology reporter who has been covering the privacy implications of connected cars, including her own. Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led… Continue Reading