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“The CIA today released the long-contested Volume V of its official history of the Bay of Pigs invasion, which it had successfully concealed until now by claiming that it was a “draft” and could be withheld from the public under the FOIA’s “deliberative process” privilege. The National Security Archive fought the agency for years in …
NPR – A Girl And Her Service Dog Head To The Supreme Court – “Ehlena Fry was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that significantly limited her motor skills but not her cognitive ability. So when she was 5, her pediatrician recommended that her parents get a service dog to help her become more independent. …
CRS Reports & Analysis Legal Sidebar – Partisan Political Activities and Federal Workers: Questions in the 2016 Election, 10/20/16 “As Election Day nears, interest in the Hatch Act’s regulation of government employees’ political activities peaks, with a number of issues raising congressional interest. Are federal officials permitted to appear with candidates for partisan political election …
Issue Brief – Finding the Public Domain – The Copyright Review Management System, Melissa Levine, Lead Copyright Officer, University of Michigan, Ithaka S+R. October 26, 2016. “The public domain is the ultimate open access. It is key to the bargain of copyright. Rather simplistically, in order to incentivize authors to produce works, the public, through …
CRS report via FAS – Legal Processes for Contesting the Results of a Presidential Election, Jack Maskell, Legislative Attorney, October 24, 2016. “Questions occasionally surface regarding potential voting fraud or election irregularities in presidential elections. (See, for example, Sean Sullivan and Philip Rucker, “Trump’s Claim of ‘Rigged’ Vote Stirs Fears of Trouble,” Washington Post, October …
“Congressional Research Service reports are the best way for anyone to quickly get up to speed on major political issues without having to worry about spin — from the same source Congress uses. CRS is Congress’ think tank, and its reports are relied upon by academics, businesses, judges, policy advocates, students, librarians, journalists, and policymakers …
“An independent academic study, the Electoral Integrity Project addresses three questions: *When do elections meet international standards of electoral integrity? *What happens when elections fail to do so? *And what can be done to mitigate these problems? Under the direction of Pippa Norris, the research team is based at the University of Sydney and …
“In this report, CBO analyzes a policy that would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase their capital by reducing their payments to the government and discusses the effects that it would have on the budget and the mortgage market…Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that help finance the majority of …
Ocean Dumping Act: A Summary of the Law, Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy. October 18, 2016: “The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) has two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials, and to authorize related research. Permit and enforcement provisions of the law are often referred to as …
News release: “Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a joint majority staff report this week, “Empowering Inspectors General: Supporting the IG Community Could Save Billions for American Taxpayers.” The report is a result of information …
After Sandy Hook Elementary: A Year in the Gun Control Debate on Twitter – Presented at the Data For Good Exchange 2016. “The mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school on December 14, 2012 catalyzed a year of active debate and legislation on gun control in the United States. Social media hosted an active public discussion where people expressed their …
WSJ.com – Appeals Court Deals Setback to Consumer-Watchdog Agency. Federal three-judge panel rules CFPB’s structure is unconstitutional but rejects idea of shutting down agency. New York Times – Court Gives President More Power Over Consumer Agency Chief – An appeals court panel said the director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was too independent, so it gave the president the …
