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Introduction

Materials consulted in preparing this posting were curated from various sources including the recently introduced Deep Research by OpenAI.

With Elon Musk at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency,   various agencies within the U.S. government may experience restructuring aimed at streamlining operations, reducing costs, and integrating advanced technologies. One area likely to be affected is government agency libraries—institutions that provide critical research, archival, and information services to federal employees, policymakers, and researchers. These libraries, usually housed within agencies such as the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Department of Defense (DoD), play an essential role in supporting government functions. This essay explores how Musk’s efficiency-driven policies might reshape these libraries, with potential consequences for automation, digitization, data management, funding, privacy and information security. Although the focus of this posting is U.S. government libraries, its implications are far reaching.

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The sheer volume of Executive Orders issued by the White House since the start of this administration can feel overwhelming, especially for those tasked with monitoring these actions regularly. To assist in navigating this fast-paced environment, we have reviewed over a hundred websites to identify the most reliable and direct sources for tracking Executive Orders on an ongoing basis. In our selection process, we excluded sites that provide in-depth analysis of individual orders but lack a primary focus on continuous tracking. This post includes a  link to a site which discuss what executive orders are, followed by links to our curated list of “go-to” resources designed to help you stay up-to-date with Executive Orders as they are issued.

WHAT IS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER?

What is an Executive Order ABA

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From a Legaltech News posting by Benjamin Joyner , January 27, 2025.

“LexisNexis {has] announced the general availability of Protégé, a personalized artificial intelligence assistant for legal work. The release follows last August’s announcement of Protégé’s commercial preview, which allowed several dozen customers to beta test the product.”

“The new tool is now integrated into Lexis’ larger generative AI platform, Lexis+ AI, which includes a variety of other features such as a citation tool, and is expected to be rolled out across other Lexis products shortly. The initial launch of Protégé came shortly after Lexis’ purchase of Belgian contract drafting startup Henchman, which was announced last June and finalized the following month. The use of the startup’s document management system integrations enabled enhanced personalization by grounding output in the previous work product of the individual user and the firm.”

 

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President Donald Trump’s second term began with a whirlwind of executive actions, sparking sharply divided reactions from the left and right. While Trump’s policies focused on immigration, energy, federal employment, and high-profile pardons, the responses have highlighted ideological divides:

The Right’s Perspective:

  • Many on the right criticized Trump’s sweeping pardons for January 6 rioters, with outlets like National Review calling it a mistake that undermines law and order.
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Rikers Island, a symbol of New York City’s fraught relationship with justice and incarceration, houses a complex social world that remains hidden from public view. While most of its detainees are awaiting the resolution of their cases, a smaller group serves sentences too brief for the state prison system, known as “city time.” These short sentences, ranging from just a few days to a year, are typically served in large, overcrowded dormitories notorious for their lack of privacy and sanitation. Within these confines, a resilient social order emerges as incarcerated individuals navigate survival, solidarity, and structure amid the harsh realities of confinement.

David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan’s City Time , published in January 2025 by NYU Press, offers an unflinching exploration of this hidden world. Both authors draw on their personal experiences serving city time at Rikers to craft a vivid portrayal of daily life inside the jail’s walls. They delve into the routines that define incarceration—sanitation, nourishment, work, and recreation—while capturing the intricate social dynamics that develop among those subjected to this form of punishment. The book also exposes the deep structural injustices underpinning the city’s criminal justice system, highlighting the intersection of race, class, and mental health challenges that contribute to a revolving door of incarceration for many impoverished New Yorkers.

By tracing the authors’ journeys from intake to release, City Time not only recounts a personal experience but also sheds light on the broader societal implications of short-term incarceration. It challenges readers to confront the human cost of a justice system that often prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation and reveals the enduring spirit of those living through city time sentences on Rikers Island.

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On November 18, 2022, the Attorney General appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith to investigate potential violations of law related to efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election and the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021. This investigation culminated on August 1, 2023, with a federal grand jury indictment in the District of Columbia charging former President Donald J. Trump with four felony offenses stemming from alleged attempts to use fraud and deceit to overturn the election results.

Following a Supreme Court decision affirming immunity for certain alleged official misconduct, a superseding indictment addressed Mr. Trump’s non-immunized actions. However, upon Mr. Trump’s reelection to the presidency, the Department of Justice moved to dismiss the case on November 25, 2024, adhering to its longstanding position that a sitting President cannot face federal indictment or prosecution.

This volume of the report submitted by Jack Smith on January 7, 2025, prior to his resignation on January 10, details the Special Counsel’s investigation into the “Election Case,” offering transparency on prosecutorial decisions under DOJ regulations (28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c)). It provides a comprehensive account through five sections:

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For much of its history, the death penalty in the United States has been framed as a tool of justice—a way to hold the most vicious criminals accountable for their heinous acts. Stories of grisly murders and the suffering of victims’ families dominated the narrative, overshadowing questions about fairness or accuracy in the system. In this view, the focus was on the victims, while defense attorneys challenging death sentences were often portrayed as meddlesome “do-gooders” intent on exploiting legal technicalities to obstruct justice.

Today, the story has shifted dramatically. The modern narrative exposes a system riddled with errors, inequities, and deceptions—a bureaucracy that rushes individuals to death row without ensuring they are the right ones. According to the Death Penalty Information Center’s Death Penalty Census, the reality is stark: the most common outcome of a death sentence in the United States is not execution but reversal. Only 15.7% of death sentences ultimately result in execution, with the vast majority overturned due to errors or other issues.

With such a low “success” rate, one must ask: Why does this archaic punishment persist? Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cornwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science at Amherst College addresses this question in his recent posting, Why Does the United States Bother to Impose Death Sentences?, in VERDICT: Legal Analysis and Commentary from Justia. In his posting, Professor Sarat concludes:

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, is widely celebrated for his humanitarian efforts and steadfast commitment to global peace. Yet, beyond the halls of politics and diplomacy, Carter has carved out an extraordinary legacy as a man of letters—a poet, novelist, memoirist, and philosopher whose works illuminate the depth of his intellect and the compassion of his soul. He published 32 books. Through his poetry, he reflects on the natural beauty of his beloved Georgia and the universal struggles of humanity. His novels and memoirs weave together personal experiences and historical narratives, offering readers both intimate glimpses into his life and profound meditations on the human condition. As a philosopher, Carter’s writings are infused with moral clarity, challenging readers to contemplate the values of justice, faith, and service. In his December 30, 2024 article in the New York Times, Jimmy Carter: Poet, Novelist, Memoirist, and Philosopher, Rick Rojas explores these dimensions of Carter’s life, presenting him as an artist of words whose literary contributions stand as a testament to a life devoted not only to leadership but also to reflection and expression.

Books by Jimmy Carter

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This compilation is part of an experiment, marking the initial use of Microsoft Copilot as a question-and-answer application.

My QUESTION:

“Can you give me a list of the most popular programming languages for beginners, including those with features incorporating artificial intelligence(AI).”

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The most remarkable aspect of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s fatal shooting on a New York street in early December wasn’t the crime itself—it was the reaction. Social media erupted, not with shock or mourning, but with outrage at the American health insurance system. Stories of family members denied coverage for serious medical issues flooded comment sections, drowning out the horror of the killing. This collective fury was all the more striking in the wake of an election season where the topic had barely registered, save for vague references—think Trump’s “concepts of a plan”—to tweaking Medicare, Medicaid, or Obamacare. Directed anger at insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare had been conspicuously absent.

As historian Elliott Gorn, who has explored the creation of folk heroes might observe, the arrest of Luigi Mangione—indicted on charges including first-degree murder—has transformed an abstract, systemic issue into a potent moral tale. In an instant, jargon about in-network providers and annual deductibles gave way to a stark narrative of heroes and villains. Mangione became either a cold-blooded murderer or a culture warrior; Thompson, a ruthless CEO draining Americans’ wallets or a devoted family man left bleeding on the street. Suddenly, an opaque corporate giant, shielded by labyrinthine policies and faceless bureaucracy, stood exposed—stripped bare in the public eye as a symbol of unchecked greed.

To see Elliott Gorn’s  December 18 article in Slate, The Latest Icon: How Luigi Mangione joined the pantheon of American Heroes. which expands on this topic,  click here.

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