Category «Congress»

Implications of Cambridge Analytica scandal widen in scope as do responses – updated

Numerous follow-ups to my posting yesterday – NYT, Guardian – How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions – UK Channel Four Television has a report on the widening depth and breath of this scandal – An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News reveals how Cambridge Analytica secretly campaigns in elections across the world. …

Subjects: Congress, EU Data Protection, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

30 Companies Getting the Most From the Government

24/7 Wall St: “As an economic power, the U.S. government is a juggernaut without equal. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. government spent $4.0 trillion in 2017. While the largest shares of the federal government’s annual expenditures go towards benefit programs like Social Security and Medicaid, hundreds of billions of federal dollars also …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

NYT, Guardian – How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions

During the election cycle in 2016, my FB page was routinely slammed with hateful and biased ads. This made no sense at the time, as I was not affiliated with any groups online, I did not opine about the candidates, and I did not “like” or “share” posts, and I do not use apps. I …

Subjects: Congress, EU Data Protection, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy, Social Media

Vox – National School Walkout Day in photos, from Parkland to London

Vox posted photos from protests around the country as students peacefully marched, assembled, spoke and listened, to speeches from peers, lawmakers, victims of mass shooting events, and civil rights pioneers, in cities across the country. The focus remained on young people leading the movement to legislate increased gun control in America. The protest here in …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Education, Legislation

Status of the Russia Investigation – House Intelligence Committee Democrats

Status of the Russia Investigation, March 13, 2018. See also: Nunes Statement on Russia Investigation “One year ago, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) initiated its investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election and pledged to follow the facts wherever they would lead. With yesterday’s announcement that the Majority will be prematurely …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

This is the Truth – Most Gun Owners Support Policies Aimed at Reducing Gun Violence

BuzzFeed: “Gun owners who are members of the National Rifle Association and those who are not are sharply divided over support for new gun control proposals, according to a new Ipsos/BuzzFeed News poll. A slew of new proposals have come out of Congress and the White House in the weeks since 17 people were killed …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legal Research, Legislation

CRS – Banking Policy Issues in the 115th Congress

Banking Policy Issues in the 115th Congress, David W. Perkins, Analyst in Macroeconomic Policy. March 7, 2018. “The financial crisis and the ensuing legislative and regulatory responses greatly affected the banking industry. Many new regulations—mandated or authorized by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203) or promulgated under the authority of …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

CRS updated repot – U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues. Amy F. Woolf, Specialist in Nuclear Weapons Policy. March 6, 2018. “…At the present time, the U.S. land-based ballistic missile force (ICBMs) consists of 400 land-based Minuteman III ICBMs, each deployed with one warhead, spread among a total of 450 operational launchers. This force is consistent with …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Government Documents

CBO Warns Bipartisan Bank Bill Heightens Risk of Financial Crisis

The Intercept: “The Congressional Budget Office confirmed on Monday [March 5, 2018] that bank lobbyists had successfully altered language of the so-called Citigroup carve-out, potentially allowing mega-banks Citi and JPMorgan Chase to add leverage and put more debt-fueled risk on their balance sheets. CBO gave Citi and JPMorgan a 50 percent chance of convincing regulators …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Did the Dodd-Frank Act End ‘Too Big to Fail’?

New York Fed – Liberty Street Economics: “One goal of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 was to end “too big to fail.” Toward that goal, the Act required systemically important financial institutions to submit detailed plans for an orderly resolution (“living wills”) and authorized the FDIC to create an alternative resolution procedure. In response, the …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research, Legislation

Safe Climate Caucus Members Urge Trump To Halt “Systematic Effort” To Reduce Public Access To Climate Change Resources

“[February 28, 2018] the Congressional Safe Climate Caucus sent a letter condemning the White House’s systematic effort to reduce and suppress public access to climate change resources through federal channels. The members highlighted many examples and expressed their concerns that these efforts violate the intent of the Federal Records Act.  The letter comes after a …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, E-Government, Environmental Law, Legal Research