Monthly archives: October, 2024

First-of-its-kind dataset connects greenhouse gases and air quality

NOAA Research: “The GReenhouse gas And Air Pollutants Emissions System (GRA²PES), from NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), combines information on greenhouse gas and air quality pollutant sources into a single national database, offering innovative interactive map displays and new benefits for both climate and public health solutions. A new U.S.-based …

Subjects: Climate Change, E-Government, Environmental Law, Health Care

Report Examining Failures of Supplemental Background Investigation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, today released a report detailing disturbing shortcomings in the supplemental background investigation conducted after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged during the 2018 confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Whitehouse’s report is the culmination of a six-year-long investigation hindered by …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Legal Research

Pregnancy as a Crime: A Preliminary Report on the First Year After Dobbs

“Today, Pregnancy Justice, an organization dedicated to defending pregnant people’s rights, released its latest report, Pregnancy as a Crime: A Preliminary Report on the First Year After Dobbs. The report documents that in the first year after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, at least 210 pregnant people faced criminal charges for conduct associated with pregnancy, abortion, pregnancy loss, or birth. The report …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research

Smart TVs are like “a digital Trojan Horse” in people’s homes

Ars Technica: “The companies behind the streaming industry, including smart TV and streaming stick manufacturers and streaming service providers, have developed a “surveillance system” that has “long undermined privacy and consumer protection,” according to a report from the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) published today and sent to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Unprecedented tracking …

Subjects: E-Government, E-Records, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Privacy

What We Know About Covid’s Impact on Your Brain

Bloomberg [unpaywalled] – Scientists are worried that persisting cognitive issues may signal a coming surge of dementia and other mental conditions – “Many of Covid’s earliest and most alarming effects involve the brain, including a lost sense of smell, sluggish thinking, headaches, delirium and strokes. More than four years after the pandemic began, researchers are …

Subjects: Health Care, Medicine

How to Spot a Bad Prime Day Deal

Gizmodo: “We are all better off being more savvy consumers. When Amazon’s big shopping holiday, Prime Day, rolls around—now twice a year—we’re doubly incentivized to not fall for any bad deals. Prime Day is routinely subsumed with dishonest sales exacerbated thanks to a heavy dose of FOMO, or “fear of missing out.” Getting an honest …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Internet, Search Engines

Stunning photos of a vast e-waste dumping ground and those who make a living off it

NPR – “…For years, a site called Agbogbloshie in Accra was one of the largest e-waste processing sites in Africa, getting 15,000 tons of discarded phones, computers and other used electronics each year. Many Western media outlets depicted the site as a public health and environmental tragedy, rife with toxic chemicals that leach into the …

Subjects: Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Poverty

Leaked recordings detail a major environmental agency quietly gutting its workforce

Vox: This story was published in collaboration with High Country News. “Americans visit hiking and camping areas managed by the US Forest Service more than 150 million times each year. If you have climbed a peak or hiked in a golden aspen forest, paddled a protected river or visited a cultural site on any of …

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legislation

FTC Sends Refunds to Consumers Who Bought Pyrex Glass Manufacturer’s Products Falsely Advertised as Made in USA

FTC: The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $88,000 in refunds to consumers who bought Chinese-made measuring cups marketed as “Made in USA” by Instant Brands, the maker of Pyrex-brand kitchen and home products. The FTC took action against Instant Brands in 2023 charging that the company claimed that all its popular glass measuring …

Subjects: E-Government, Intellectual Property, Legal Research