“NOAA is expanding the availability of a new experimental heat tool called HeatRisk ahead of the hot summer months. A collaboration with NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HeatRisk provides information and guidance for those who are particularly vulnerable to heat and may need to take extra… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
Vast DNA tree of life for plants revealed by global science team
PHYS.org: “A new paper published April 24, 2024 in the journal Nature by an international team of 279 scientists led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew presents the most up-to-date understanding of the flowering plant tree of life. Using 1.8 billion letters of genetic code from more than 9,500 species covering almost 8,000 known flowering… Continue Reading
Most Americans say a free press is highly important to society
“A large majority of Americans see the freedom of the press as highly important to the well-being of society. But many express concerns about potential restrictions on press freedoms in the United States – and say that political and financial interests already have a lot of influence on news organizations. These findings come from a… Continue Reading
US Supreme Court to Parse Official Acts in Trump Immunity Fight
Bloomberg Law [paywall but most of the article is available free]: “The US Supreme Court is poised to reckon with what constitutes an official presidential act in weighing former President Donald Trump’s claim that he’s immune from being criminally prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Trump argues the charges are all based on… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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
You Should Make Your Apple ID Recoverable Right Now
How to Geek: “Your Apple ID is an account that’s worth guarding at all costs. Here are some simple steps you can take to secure it and make sure you can quickly recover it if the worst happens. Why You Should Do This – Let’s suppose for a moment that you lose access to your… 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
