Author archives

Bird conservation groups use data from birdwatchers to fill critical information gaps for declining species

PHYS.Org: “A study published in the journal Ornithological Applications shows how conservation organizations are using data from birdwatchers to pinpoint opportunities to reverse population declines. The study, led by researchers from nine different Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (cooperative, regional partnerships of federal and state agencies, Tribes, and nongovernmental organizations who work together to support avian …

Subjects: Climate Change, E-Records, Education, Environmental Law

The Righteousness of Ahmed el Amhed

“The presence of evil doesn’t break people. From a young age, we learn that there are wolves in our midst. It is the absence of courage that plunges us into crisis. Great courage can help redeem a catastrophe. But abject cowardice not only magnifies our pain; it makes us doubt the strength and virtue of …

Subjects: Education

Not Blinded By Science

The best science images of 2025 — Nature’s picks The Sun’s fiery surface, a tattooed tardigrade, rare red lightning and more.

Subjects: Climate Change, Education, Environmental Law

New Climate Policy Database maps mitigation policies across the 60 IFCMA countries

The Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA) has released the first edition of its Climate Policy Database, providing unprecedented detail on how governments are tackling climate change through policy action. With validated data covering 38 out of 60 countries so far, and around 1 600 carbon mitigation policy instruments, the Database offers granular insights …

Subjects: Climate Change, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

The Longest Suicide Note in American History

Anne Applebaum – “I needed several days to absorb the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, to re-read it, to listen to reactions, to compare it to the first Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, published in 2017. My conclusion, published in the Atlantic (gift link here), is that it isn’t really a strategy document at all: …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Defense, Education, Energy, Environmental Law, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

The Year in Slop

This was the year that A.I.-generated content passed a kind of audiovisual Turing test, Kyle Chayka argues [no paywall] – The New Yorker – This was the year that A.I.-generated content passed a kind of audiovisual Turing test, sometimes fooling us against our better judgment. “The Turing test, a long-established tool for measuring machine intelligence, …

Subjects: AI, E-Government, E-Records, Education, Intellectual Property, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

January 1, 2026 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1930 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1925

Center for the Study of the Public Domain – Public Domain Day 2026 – On January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1925. They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. The literary highlights range from William Faulkner’s As …

Subjects: Copyright, Education, Internet, Libraries

Mapping the flow of revenue and investment between major AI companies

Data is Beautiful: “This was difficult to map. It is the circular flow of capital through the AI infrastructure economy. I’m one of the co-founders of PlotSet and I created this. Data Sources: All data collected from SEC filings, official company press releases, and verified financial news reports (Bloomberg, WSJ, TechCrunch). Where AI-specific revenue wasn’t …

Subjects: AI, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research, Securities Law

Trump Administration Plans to Break Up Premier Weather and Climate Research Center

The New York Times (Gift Article): Trump Administration Plans to Break Up Premier Weather and Climate Research Center. “The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions. The center, founded in 1960, is responsible for many of the biggest …

Subjects: Censorship, Climate Change, Environmental Law, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food

Consumer Reports [no paywall – 2024] “CR tested popular fast foods and supermarket staples for bisphenols and phthalates, which can be harmful to your health. Here’s what we found—and how to stay safer. By the time you open a container of yogurt, the food has taken a long journey to reach your spoon. You may …

Subjects: Food and Nutrition, Health Care

The USA’s Censorship and Surveillance Plot is Working

Privacy Guides sits down with technology journalist Taylor Lorenz to decipher a slate of bills – including KOSA, the SCREEN Act, the App Store Accountability Act, and ongoing efforts to repeal Section 230 – being fast-tracked through Congress which threaten free speech, privacy, and your right to freely access information on the internet. There are …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

Fact-Checking Trump’s Prime-Time Address on the Economy

The New York Times – Full Transcript of President Trump’s Speech on the Economy – The president sharply attacked his predecessor while insisting that his own record contained nothing but victories. The New York Times – “The president cited misleading statistics to insist, wrongly, that prices were coming down. President Trump praised what he portrayed …

Subjects: Economy, Energy, Financial System, Food and Nutrition, Government Documents, Legal Research, Transportation

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