Category «Legislation»

Trump administration deals blow to Endangered Species Act and disregards climate crisis

Washington Post: “The Trump administration moved on Monday to weaken how it applies the 45-year-old Endangered Species Act, ordering changes that critics said will speed the loss of animals and plants at a time of record global extinctions . The action, which expands the administration’s rewrite of U.S. environmental laws, is the latest that targets …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Congress, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Libraries can have 3-D printers but they are still about books

The Conversation: “…How often do we hear that libraries aren’t just about books anymore? They are makerspaces with 3-D printers, scanners, laser vinyl cutters and routers. They provide green rooms, sewing machines, button makers, and tools like drills, saws and soldering irons. They are places to borrow seeds, fishing rods, cake making supplies, binoculars, laptops …

Subjects: Education, Knowledge Management, Legislation

Legal Shield for Websites Rattles Under Onslaught of Hate Speech

The New York Times – “When the most consequential law governing speech on the internet was created in 1996, Google.com didn’t exist and Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old. The federal law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, has helped Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and countless other internet companies flourish. But Section 230’s liability protection …

Subjects: Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy, Search Engines, Social Media

The terrible numbers that grow with each mass shooting

Washington Post – “The places change, the numbers change, but the choice of weapon remains the same. In the United States, people who want to kill a lot of other people most often do it with guns. Public mass shootings account for a tiny fraction of the country’s gun deaths, but they are uniquely terrifying …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Health Care, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation

Op-Ed: How data privacy laws could make the criminal justice system even more unfair

LA Times – “A cluster of new and proposed state and federal laws will soon make it harder for people accused of crimes to defend themselves. All of these laws are well-intended — to protect privacy by shielding sensitive personal information — but they suffer from a fundamental unfairness that needs correction. These laws tilt …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

California privacy act interpretation could make common newsgathering practice unlawful

Reporters Committee for Freedom of Information – ” The California court of appeal is considering an expansive interpretation of state privacy law — in a pending lawsuit pending involving Yelp — that would make it unlawful to take notes during telephone conversations. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and a coalition of 17 …

Subjects: Courts, Freedom of Information, Legal Research, Legislation

Our lax cybersecurity policies put our elections and our data at risk

CNN Perspectives – Andrew Grotto – “Our national discussions about cybersecurity and privacy follow a frustrating pattern: a headline-grabbing incident like the recent Capital One breach occurs, Congress wrings its hands and policymakers more or less move on. So it is no surprise cybersecurity hasn’t been much of a focus as the race to the …

Subjects: Congress, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Internet, Legislation

LC Report – Initiatives to Counter Fake News

“This report examines the legal approaches of 15 countries, representing all regions of the world, to the emerging problem of manipulation with “fake news” using mass and social media, especially the impact of fake news on ongoing political processes and elections, and the legislative measures undertaken to counteract the dissemination of false information. With the …

Subjects: Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Social Media

New Online Resource Tracks Legislation Affecting Global Health

KKF – U.S. Global Health Legislation Tracker. Published: Jul 22, 2019. “This tracker provides a listing of global health-related legislation introduced in the 116th Congress. Currently, there are more than 30 pieces of legislation related to global health. They address topics ranging from global health security to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and reproductive health. The …

Subjects: Congress, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation

Justice Department Reviewing the Practices of Market-Leading Online Platforms

DOJ: Review Focuses on Practices that Create or Maintain Structural Impediments to Greater Competition and User Benefits – The Department of Justice announced today that the Department’s Antitrust Division is reviewing whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Commerce, Government Documents, Internet, Legislation, Privacy, Social Media

When You Wear Sunscreen, You’re Taking Part in a Safety Study

The New York Times: “The Food and Drug Administration almost never tests products itself. But in May, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a randomized trial, conducted by F.D.A. researchers, to determine whether the chemicals in four commercially available sunscreens are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Four times …

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation

CRS – Bankruptcy and Student Loans

Library of Congress CRS Reports – Bankruptcy and Student Loans, July 1, 2019. “As overall student loan indebtedness in the United States has increased over the years, many borrowers have found themselves unable to repay their student loans. Ordinarily, declaring bankruptcy is a means by which a debtor may discharge—that is, obtain relief from—debts he …

Subjects: Courts, Economy, Education, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation