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Daily Archives: May 5, 2017

OECD Skills Outlook 2017

“Since the 1990s, the world has entered a new phase of globalisation. Information and communication technology, trade liberalisation and lower transport costs have enabled firms and countries to fragment the production process into global value chains (GVCs). Many products are now designed in one country and assembled in another country from parts manufactured in several countries. Thirty percent of the value of exports of OECD countries comes from abroad. In this new context, GVCs and skills are more closely interrelated than ever. Skills play a key role in determining countries’ comparative advantages in GVCs. A lot of the opportunities and challenges brought about by GVCs are being affected by countries’ skills. The OECD Skills Outlook 2017 shows how countries can make the most of global value chains, socially and economically, by investing in the skills of their populations. Applying a “whole of government” approach is crucial. Countries need to develop a consistent set of skills-related policies such as education, employment protection legislation, and migration policies, in coordination with trade and innovation policies. This report presents new analyses based on the Survey of Adult Skills and the Trade in Value Added Database. It also explains what countries would need to do to specialise in technologically advanced industries.”

Legal Issues: Suing for Life’s Frustrations: Supreme Court Says Maybe

Pike, George H., Legal Issues: Suing for Life’s Frustrations: Supreme Court Says Maybe (July 1, 2016). Information Today, Volume 33, Issue 6, July/August 2016. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2963336 “Life can get frustrating sometimes. Losing a glove on a cold winter day, or opting not to bring an umbrella because the forecast said it would be… Continue Reading

The 2017 Budget and Economic Outlook

“In fiscal year 2016, for the first time since 2009, the federal budget deficit increased in relation to the nation’s economic output. The Congressional Budget Office projects that over the next decade, if current laws remained generally unchanged, budget deficits would eventually follow an upward trajectory—the result of strong growth in spending for retirement and… Continue Reading

Office of Government Ethics now handling voluminous info requests from public

Quartz – “Trump’s administration has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency, and demands for information from the public, press, and Congress have gone through the roof. The OGE has already received five times the amount of Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests that they usually get in a full fiscal year—with five months left… Continue Reading

LA Times – A side-by-side comparison of Obamacare and GOP’s replacement plan

“Here’s how the proposed Republican American Health Care Act—along with various amendments to the bill—compares to the 2010 Affordable Care Act. By Noam N. Levey and Kyle Kim May 4, 2017 People with preexisting conditions could see substantial changes in what kind of coverage they could receive. Under the Affordable Care Act Americans are able… Continue Reading