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Current Articles & Research Resources, June 6

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community. 

  • Read about how the federal government is addressing concerns about privacy related to face recognition technologies. (Government Accountability Office, June 4, 2019)
  • Find the latest reports produced by the Texas Health & Human Services Commission. (Texas Health & Human Services, accessed June 5, 2019)
  • Prepare for hurricane season. (Texas Department of Public Safety, May 31, 2019)
  • See legislation related to occupational licensing. (Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation, accessed June 5, 2019)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252.

  • "Beyond us and them: The role of trust in vaccine controversy." By Amanda Paulson. Christian Science Monitor, May 27, 2019, pp. 10-11.
    Argues the vaccination controversy is not a scientific problem but a social problem created by lack of faith in government, the health-care system, and pharmaceutical companies.
  • "Child-safe internet: The kids aren't alright." Economist, May 25th-31st, 2019, p. 66.
    Reports members of the United States Congress are drafting multiple bills to regulate how internet and social media platforms treat children — the internet equivalent of the Children's Television Act of 1990.
  • "The Texas Legislature wraps up: Hide your crazy." Economist, June 1st-7th, 2019, p. 24.
    Summarizes the 86th Texas Legislature, calling it the most productive legislative session in a decade.
  • "Bound to win." By Jill Lepore. New Yorker, May 20, 2019, pp. 76-82.
    Reviews the evolution of political memoirs or autobiographies, focusing on books by current presidential candidates.
  • "Report: Industry appeal to investors at all-time low." Oil and Gas Journal, May 6, 2019, pp. 31-33.
    Summarizes a series of articles from Deloitte, "Decoding the O & G Downturn," which explores the oil and gas industry's struggles with uncertainty in the markets and low prices.
  • "Ensuring equitable access to great teachers: State policy priorities." By Elizabeth Ross. Phi Delta Kappan, May 2019, pp. 20-26.
    Reports on a study of the state plans required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 to ensure vulnerable student populations have equitable access to talented teachers.
  • "How state pension subsidies undermine equity." By James Shuls, et al. Phi Delta Kappan, May 2019, pp. 37-41.
    Reviews recent studies to understand how some methods of funding teacher pensions can have a role in school finance inequity.
  • "Towards a new energy efficiency world order: Revisit our metrics." By Keith Dennis. Public Utilities Fortnightly, May 2019, pp. 100-102.
    Argues that energy efficiency program models need to be updated in order to adapt to changes in the energy industry.
  • "The heartbreaking, lifesaving practice of welcoming 'unaccompanied' child migrants." By Shikha Dalmia. Reason, June 2019, pp. 14-15.
    Compares and contrasts the movement to rescue children from life-threatening poverty and violence in Europe after World War I with the treatment of Latin American children attempting to gain asylum in the United States today.
  • "Palliative care beyond hospice is spreading to more states." By Michael Ollove. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), May 29, 2019, pp. 1-6.
    Reports more states are extending palliative care benefits to people who are not close to death, but who are living with serious illnesses. Explains state programs and policies vary according to geography, hospital size and income. Reports at http://features.commonwealthfund.org/health-care-in-america and https://nashp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Palliative-Care-Brief-Final.pdf.

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.