Category «United States Law»

Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time

PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are now either suspected or known to contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage and cancer, among other health issues. Dr. Kyle Doudrick’s team at the University of Notre Dame works on solving problems involving contaminants in water systems, including PFAS. We explore new technologies to remove PFAS from drinking water and to handle the PFAS waste. Here’s a glimpse of the magnitude of the challenge and ways you can reduce PFAS in your own drinking water.

Subjects: Energy, Environmental Law, Government Resources, Healthcare

AI in Finance and Banking, April 15, 2024

This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government reports, NGO/IGO papers, industry white papers, academic papers, conferences and speeches on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate links to alternate free versions. Six highlights from this post: Economics of Artificial Intelligence: Political Economy Challenges; Artificial Intelligence Ethics for the Estate Planner; AI Could Soon Replace Entry-Level Wall Street Analysts; Economics of Artificial Intelligence: Political Economy Challenges; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Financial Services; and City of London leaders turn to AI bots to fight financial crime.

Subjects: AI in Banking and Finance, Cybercrime, Economy, KM

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, April 13, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: Hijacked Facebook Pages are pushing fake AI services to steal your data; China-backed operatives used fake social profiles to gauge US political division, Microsoft says; LastPass: Hackers targeted employee in failed deepfake CEO call; Insurers Are Spying on Your Home From the Sky; and Hospital websites share visitors’ data with Google, Meta.

Subjects: AI, Criminal Law, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Email Security, Financial System, Government Resources, Healthcare, Legal Profession, Legal Research, Social Media, Software

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, April 6, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: Cyber Safety Review Board: Microsoft security culture; DA says he shut down 21 sites stealing millions through crypto scams ‘inadequate’; CISA Publishes New Webpage Dedicated to Providing Resources for High-Risk Communities; and Does wiretap law apply to cookies on hospital websites?

Subjects: AI, Cryptocurrencies, Cryptocurrency, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Healthcare, Legal Research, Privacy, Social Media, Spyware, Viruses & Hoaxes

AI in Banking and Finance, March 31, 2024

This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, industry white papers, academic papers and speeches on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate links to alternate free versions. Five highlights from this post: 55% of Business Leaders Concerned About the Safety of Future Bank Deposits: Report; Generative AI Is Coming for Your Bank. Maybe; How AI Could Rebuild America’s Middle Class; Market Power in Artificial Intelligence; Managing Artificial Intelligence-Specific Cybersecurity Risks in the Financial Services Sector; and Impact of AI Adoption on Economic Dynamics through Habit Formation: Decision Making and Asset Pricing.

Subjects: AI in Banking and Finance, Big Data, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Government Resources

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, March 31, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: Video Doorbells Sold By Big Retailers Have Major Security Flaws; Few states have ‘established’ privacy program; 3 Ways AI Could Transform Your Insurance Policy; Use Consumer Reports’ Security Planner to Stay Safer Online; and Survey: Few states have ‘established’ privacy program.

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cyberlaw, Cybersecurity, Privacy

Review – Law Democratized: A Blueprint For Solving The Justice Crisis

Jerry Lawson rhetorically asks Is anyone in the country better qualified than Renee Knake Jefferson to write about access to justice? Professor of Law at the University of Houston, co-reporter for the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services, and designated by the American Bar Association as a “Legal Rebel,” she has long been a thought leader in the quest to make legal help available to all, regardless of resources. Her new book, Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis, does not disappoint.

Subjects: AI, Court Resources, Education, Ethics, Kodner and Cramer on the Case (Management), Legal Ethics, Legal Profession, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, March 23, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Eight highlights from this week: How to Figure Out What Your Car Knows About You; The Feds Can Film Your Front Porch for 68 Days Without a Warrant, Says Court; X Continues to Break as Fraudsters Use Deceptive Links to Scam; FDA and You; Artificial Intelligence and Medical Products: How CBER, CDER, CDRH, and OCP are Working Together; DOJ sues Apple in antitrust case, says it has illegal monopoly over smartphones; Data brokers admit they’re selling information on precise location, kids, and reproductive healthcare; X Continues to Break as Fraudsters Use Deceptive Links to Scam You; and Why you should stop using SMS.

Subjects: AI, Big Data, Business Research, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Financial System, Government Resources, Healthcare, Medical Research, Privacy, Social Media

Climate change is shifting the zones where plants grow

With the arrival of spring in North America, many people are gravitating to the gardening and landscaping section of home improvement stores, where displays are overstocked with eye-catching seed packs and benches are filled with potted annuals and perennials. But some plants that once thrived in your yard may not flourish there now. To understand why, Dr. Matt Kasson looks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent update of its plant hardiness zone map, which has long helped gardeners and growers figure out which plants are most likely to thrive in a given location.

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law