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Monthly Archives: December 2007

Highlights of Proposed Rule to Amend Home Mortgage Provisions of Regulation Z

Press release: “The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday proposed and asked for public comment on changes to Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive home mortgage lending and advertising practices. The rule, which would be adopted under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), would restrict certain practices and… Continue Reading

FCC Adopts Revision To Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule

Press release: “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today concluded its quadrennial review of the broadcast ownership rules. The Commission amended the 32-year-old absolute ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership by crafting an approach that would presumptively allow a newspaper to own one television station or one radio station in the 20 largest markets, subject to strict criteria… Continue Reading

New GAO Report and Correspondence: Air Traffic Control, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Rebuilding Iraq

Air Traffic Control: FAA Reports Progress in System Acquisitions, but Changes in Performance Measurement Could Improve Usefulness of Information, GAO-08-42, December 18, 2007 Plum Island Animal Disease Center: DHS Has Made Significant Progress Implementing Security Recommendations, but Several Recommendations Remain Open, GAO-08-306R, December 17, 2007 Rebuilding Iraq: International Donor Pledges for Reconstruction Efforts in Iraq,… Continue Reading

Research on Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Issues and Options for an Expanded Federal Role

Congressional Budget Office, Research on Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Issues and Options for an Expanded Federal Role, December 2007 “This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper—prepared at the request of the Chairmen of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees—examines options for expanding federal support for research on comparative effectiveness. It reviews the current state of… Continue Reading

Oversight Chairman Urges AG to Provide Plame Documents

“In a letter to the Attorney General, Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Waxman reiterated his request for documents from Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald’s investigation into the leak of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson, noting the absence of any pending Justice Department investigation or litigation.” Related postings on Investigation of Plame… Continue Reading

House Judiciary Chair Demands Testimony From DOJ Officials on CIA Tape Destruction

Press release: “[December 17, 2007] House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey reiterating the Chairman’s request to have a Department of Justice representative testify at Thursday’s hearing on the Applicability of Federal Criminal Laws to the Interrogation of Detainees. Congressional leaders have already criticized the Department’s… Continue Reading

An Evaluation of Online Public Information About Economic Development Subsidies, Procurement Contracts and Lobbying Activities

The State of State Disclosure: An Evaluation of Online Public Information About Economic Development Subsidies, Procurement Contracts and Lobbying Activities by Philip Mattera, Karla Walter, Julie Farb Blain and Michelle Lee, November 2007, (Revised 11/19/07), Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First. “The Good Jobs First study evaluates the quantity and quality of state government… Continue Reading

Report: Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism

“Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released the fifth annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report (124 pages, PDF), which found that while important progress has been made, critical areas of the nation’s emergency health preparedness effort still require attention. In addition, the continuing trend of annual cuts in… Continue Reading

Digital Economy Fact Book 2007

“The Ninth Edition of The Progress & Freedom Foundation’s Digital Economy Fact Book (188 pages, PDF) was released [December 14, 2007]…The resource guide features an expanded section on international data, reflecting the global importance of the digital economy.” Continue Reading

Capital Punishment, 2006 – Statistical Tables

Capital Punishment, 2006 – Statistical Tables, Tracy L. Snell, BJS Statistician: “Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death on December 31, 2006, and of persons executed in 2006 from the NPS-8 data collection. Tables present state-by-state information on the movement of prisoners into and out of death sentence status during 2006, status of capital… Continue Reading