Author archives

Elon Musk’s apparent power play at the Copyright Office completely backfired

The Verge no paywall: Ripping off content to train AI wasn’t going to fly with either MAGA populists or MAGA media. What initially appeared to be a power play by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to take over the US Copyright Office by having Donald Trump remove the officials in charge …

Subjects: Copyright, Government Documents, Legal Research

Most Americans don’t earn enough to afford basic costs of living

CBS News: “The gap between what Americans earn and how much they need to bring in to achieve a basic standard of living is growing, according to a new report. The analysis, from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP), looks beyond whether people can afford daily necessities like food and shelter to consider …

Subjects: Economy, Food and Nutrition, Health Care, Housing, Medicine, Poverty

Food Safety Warnings Stop Going Out After FDA Laid Off Staffers

Bloomberg Law [no paywall]: “The FDA’s public posting of warning letters from its food division stalled after the agency temporarily fired staff to review them, making the center overdue on notices that flag compliance violations in seafood, produce, and other foods. At least a dozen letters warning companies on significant violations of federal requirements have …

Subjects: E-Government, Food and Nutrition, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

How the World’s Most Powerful Corporations Have Fought Accountability for Climate Change

Bytseu – “A new report draws on decades of internal documents and court records to lay out how some of the world’s most powerful corporations misled the public about the dangers of climate change—and how their efforts to avoid responsibility for the harms caused by their products have evolved in recent years. The documents and …

Subjects: Climate Change, Courts, Energy, Environmental Law, Legal Research

The US Library of Congress is under attack

FT.com no paywall – An institution that survived British torching in 1814 is now facing a new onslaught – “An institution that survived British torching in 1814 is now facing a new onslaught. The Library of Congress is a reference-only research library, its collections being built through legal deposit legislation, passed by Congress. A History …

Subjects: Censorship, Congress, Copyright, Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

At This $10 Billion Hedge Fund, Using AI Just Became Mandatory

Walleye Capital’s Will England is training his 400 employees to win with LLMs TL;DR: Today we’re releasing a new episode of our podcast AI & I. Dan Shipper goes in depth with Will England, the CEO and CIO of Walleye Capital, one of Every’s consulting clients. Watch on X or YouTube, or listen on Spotify …

Subjects: AI, Economy, Financial System, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

License Plate Reader Company Flock Is Building a Massive People Lookup Tool, Leak Shows

404 Media no paywall – “Flock, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company whose cameras are installed in more than 5,000 communities in the U.S., is building a product that will use people lookup tools, data brokers, and data breaches to “jump from LPR [license plate reader] to person,” allowing police to much more easily …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Records, Legal Research, Privacy, Transportation

Congress’s Librarian, Fired by the President

First Branch Forecast: “Congress’s Librarian, Fired by the President The presidential firing of Dr. Hayden raises serious questions about legislative independence. On Thursday, President Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Dr. Hayden became the 14th Librarian of Congress in 2016. In that role, she oversaw the Library of Congress, a major legislative support agency. …

Subjects: Censorship, Congress, Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Decades of Deceit – Climate Fraud

Union of Concerned Scientists: The Case Against Major Fossil Fuel Companies for Climate Fraud and Damages – “Dozens of states, counties, cities, and tribes across the United States and its territories are currently suing major fossil fuel companies for fraud, climate damages, or racketeering. This report assesses the wealth of documentary evidence behind these lawsuits, …

Subjects: Climate Change, Energy, Environmental Law, Legal Research

Read e-books for free

Consumer Checkbook “Almost all libraries now buy e-book licenses from publishers and make books available for download by patrons, formatted for device type, through services such as OverDrive.com and the popular Libby app. (Caveat: You’ll face long waitlists for bestsellers and other popular titles.) Other ways to e-read for free: Books in the public domain—which …

Subjects: Libraries