Author archives

The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview

CRS report via FAS – The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview, Denis Steven Rutkus, Visiting Scholar. June 17, 2016. “In recent decades, the process for appointing judges to the U.S. circuit courts of appeals and the U.S. district courts has been of continuing Senate interest. The responsibility for making …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

Foreign Aid: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy

CRS Report via FAS – Foreign Aid: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy – Curt Tarnoff, Specialist in Foreign Affairs; Marian L. Lawson, Specialist in Foreign Assistance Policy. June 17, 2016. “Foreign assistance is a fundamental component of the international affairs budget and is viewed by many as an essential instrument of U.S. foreign …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Economy, Government Documents, Legal Research

Pew – Social Media and the Workplace

New platforms can be tools for connection with colleagues and outside experts, but can also serve as distractions while on the job – “Social media influences and permeates many aspects of daily life for Americans today, and the workforce is no exception. These digital platforms offer the potential to enhance worker productivity by fostering connections …

Subjects: Economy, Internet, Knowledge Management, Social Media

Zooniverse – collaborative, volunteer research portal

“The Zooniverse provides opportunities for people around the world to contribute to real discoveries in fields ranging from astronomy to zoology. Welcome to the largest online platform for collaborative volunteer research. The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers—hundreds of thousands of people …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management

U.S. Digital Registry

“Whether for emergency management and public health, reliable financial services or trusted access to education programs, the need for users to confirm the validity of official U.S. government digital platforms is critical. A challenge in embracing emerging startup and private sector platforms for public service is ensuring that citizens can trust the app used for …

Subjects: E-Government, Internet, Social Media

Internet trends report 2016 – Mary Meeker

“The 2016 edition of Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report covers today’s Internet growth and an in-depth look at the following: • Global Internet users have surpassed 3B; India has supplanted the US as the world’s second-largest Internet market. • Internet user growth remains consistent (led by acceleration in India), while smartphone user and shipment …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Economy, Financial System, Internet, Transportation

National Justice Institute – Explaining the Recent Rise in Violent Crime

“As Director of NIJ, it is my responsibility to ensure we use science to address the multitude of complex criminal justice challenges we face today. Over the past year, the increase in homicides in several American cities has captured the attention of this Administration, respective federal agencies, local police departments, and media outlets. Although many …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

New Indian Child Welfare Act Guidelines for State Courts

Via Carol Ebbinghouse – Federal Register, Vol 81, No. 114, p. 38778 Tuesday June 14, 2016.  Part 2, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 25 CFR Part 23 [K00103 12/13 A3A10; 134D0102DR­ DS5A300000-DR.5A311.1A000113] RIN 1076-AF25 Indian Child Welfare Act Proceedings. This final rule adds a new subpart to the Department of the Interior’s …

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

Study – How Usable Are School Library Websites?

Chow, Anthony S., Rebecca J. Morris, Amy Figley, Karla Regan, Samantha Lam, and Jessica Sherard. How Usable Are School Library Websites? A Random Sample from All Fifty States. Journal of Research on Libraries & Young Adults 7 (2016): n. page. Web. “This study examines the basic design layout, content, and usability of 300 randomly sampled …

Subjects: Education, Internet, Knowledge Management, Libraries

Pew – More older Americans are working, and working more, than they used to

“More older Americans – those ages 65 and older – are working than at any time since the turn of the century, and today’s older workers are spending more time on the job than did their peers in previous years, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of employment data from the federal Bureau …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Knowledge Management

Genome-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 obtains initial federal approval for human testing

“A federal biosafety and ethics panel on Tuesday unanimously approved the first study in patients of the genome-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9, in an experiment that would use CRISPR to create genetically altered immune cells to attack three kinds of cancer. It had been widely expected that the first human use of CRISPR would be a 2017 clinical trial …

Subjects: Health Care, Knowledge Management, Medicine