Author: Ethan Johnson

Written by Karen Kerrigan | SBEC Calls for government intervention in the economy are often touted as a way to provide relief and equity. However, many of these proposals have unintended consequences that will create long-term costs for businesses and consumers. For example, as part of the government's all-out war on “junk fees,” federal agencies plan to intervene significantly in the private sector and upend many long-standing business models. The downstream effects of such government overreach would harm far more consumers and small businesses than the relatively few that this misguided proposal claims to protect. right. Economic uncertainty has plagued…

AI remains a key focus for both the federal government and industry, and in recent weeks there have been multiple initiatives to address the governance of AI development and use in the United States. On February 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of State-commissioned report, Defense in Depth: An Action Plan to Improve the Safety and Security of Advanced AI (Action Plan), identifies multiple initiatives by the U.S. government and partner countries. Suggested. Address the growing national security risks posed by rapidly expanding AI capabilities, including the promise of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Days later, on March 5, 2024, Speaker Comer…

After months of contentious debate and a near-shutdown of the government, Congress approved spending for fiscal year 2024, which President Biden quickly signed into law. This spending package includes several important immigration-related budgets and provisions. But surprisingly, $800 million was cut from the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). SSP funding allows states and local governments to recoup some of the costs of providing services such as shelter and health care to migrants. Reductions in SSP funds previously allocated under the Humanitarian Emergency Food and…

Thirty years ago, dissatisfied with the swings of the policy pendulum and the arrogance of successive Labor and central governments, New Zealanders changed their electoral rules. The old First Last Post (FPP) electoral system has been replaced by the Mixed Member Proportional System (MMP). At the time, it was thought that this would end an era of executive overreach. It was expected that multiparty and minority governments would not be able to wield their positions as easily as single-party majority governments, and this is often the case. Election reform is difficult in countries that lack the constitutional guardrails found elsewhere,…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a rule lowering late fees charged by many credit card issuers, and as a result, the rule will limit access to affordable consumer credit and reduce credit card charges. Consumers who pay the fee will be penalized. on time. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said last year that 75% of credit card users pay their bills on time. On March 7, 2024, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued the CFPB for exceeding its statutory authority, ignoring our comments, and making few changes to its rules despite 57,000 other comments. did. Instead, the…

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday issued final accessibility rules for state and local web content and mobile applications aimed at ensuring all digital services are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. did. The new regulations aim to fill in the gaps in the ADA. While the landmark Accessibility Act of 1990 sets out requirements related to physical sites, there are no explicit mandates for the accessibility of digital resources such as websites. While some states are working ahead of federal regulations and implementing accessible solutions for websites and apps, the Department of Justice's regulations add a…

This is the first of two articles profiling the Democratic candidates for the 131st State House seat.Merriam-Sabi argues that there are three characteristics of civil servants that some might question.”I'm caring, hard-working, and a good listener,” Sabi said when evaluating her candidacy. “I like being there in person and meeting people and really addressing their concerns.”Mr. Sabi hopes to represent District 131 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The district includes parts of Lehigh, Northampton, and Montgomery counties. To win the seat, he must first defeat Jayharon Santos in the Democratic primary.”I've lived in the Lehigh Valley for over 15…

One of the three councilors who attended the meeting and spoke to the Post said Chung gave encouragement to the city.Hong Kong Liaison Office Director Cheng Yan-shiung (center) and Chief Executive Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki (right) hold a two-session press conference behind closed doors at Hong Kong City Government Headquarters on Tuesday.Photo: Edmund So”Mr Chung said it was no big deal for Hongkongers to head north for consumption, citing that Guangdong authorities had not complained years ago about residents coming to Hong Kong to shop. “I pointed out that there was no such thing,” said the lawmaker, who requested anonymity.“We…

top line The European Court of Human Rights said on Tuesday that governments have a duty to try to stop climate change and reduce its impact on their populations, citing a group of elderly women in Switzerland who said climate change puts them at higher risk of death from heatwaves. The judgment was in favor. Governments are not doing enough to protect them from global warming. Protesters hold pennants during a rally in front of the European Court of Human Rights on April 9, 2024. AFP (via Getty Images) important facts The court said that governments' failure to meet emissions…

On March 28, 2024, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released Memorandum M-24-10. Driving governance, innovation, and risk management for the use of artificial intelligence by government agencies (Memo), updates and implements OMB's November 2023 proposed memorandum of the same name. The memo directs agencies to “advance AI governance and innovation while managing the risks of AI use in the federal government.” In this memo, OMB focuses on his three key areas: strengthening AI governance, promoting responsible AI innovation, and managing risks from the use of AI. range This memo addresses only a subset of AI risks that are…