Consumer Price Index Summary: “The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent in December before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The December level of 210.036 (1982-84=100) was 4.1 percent higher than in December 2006.” Consumer Price Index – Table of Contents Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2008
FTC Releases Report Examining Laws That Apply Differently to the U.S. Postal Service and its Private Competitors
Press release: “The Federal Trade Commission today issued a report entitled Accounting for Laws that Apply Differently to the United States Postal Service and its Private Competitors, which fulfills its requirement under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA). The report identifies and quantifies to the extent possible the Postal Services economic burdens… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve Issues Beige Book, January 16, 2008
“Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest that economic activity increased modestly during the survey period of mid-November through December, but at a slower pace compared with the previous survey period. Among Districts, seven reported a slight increase in activity, two reported mixed conditions, and activity in three Districts was described as slowing. Most… Continue Reading
White House Filing in CREW Lawsuit Verfies Deficiences in Email Archiving System
Follow up to previous postings on missing White House emails, today’s Press release from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW): “Yesterdays midnight filing by the White House in CREW v. Executive Office of the President, a lawsuit challenging the failure of the White House to preserve and restore millions of missing emails, raises… Continue Reading
Homeland Security Advisory Council – Report of the Administration Transition Task Force
Homeland Security Advisory Council – Report of the Administration Transition Task Force (ATTF), January 2008, (27 pages, PDF). “The main objective of the ATTF report is to advocate strategies and policies that will strengthen operational continuity of the full spectrum of national homeland security operations. Briefings, research and recent history (e.g., United States – September… Continue Reading
Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force
Press release: “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a comprehensive report addressing strategies to reverse the declining participation rate of federal employees with targeted disabilities. The full text of the report, Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force, is available here.” Continue Reading
FCC Quarterly Reports on Informal Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Release
FCC press release: “The Commission has released its report on the top subject areas for consumer inquiries and complaints processed by the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) during the first and second quarters of calendar year 2007.” Continue Reading
CDC To Launch Study on Unexplained Illness
Press release: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with Kaiser Permanentes Northern California Division of Research launched a study to learn about an unexplained skin condition known as Morgellons. Persons who suffer from this condition report a range of symptoms including non-healing skin lesions associated with the emergence of fibers or… Continue Reading
Navy Granted Waivers In Sonar Program Impacting Marine Mammals
Follow up to January 5, 2008 posting, Federal Judge Orders Navy To Adopt Significant Mitigation Measures For Sonar Use, from the Natural Resources Defense Council, news that “the Bush administration yesterday attempted to override a federal court order requiring the U.S. Navy to minimize harm to whales and dolphins during upcoming sonar exercises off Southern… Continue Reading
Rand Report: U.S.-Pakistan Relations Assassination, Instability, and the Future of U.S. Policy
Rand Report: U.S.-Pakistan Relations Assassination, Instability, and the Future of U.S. Policy, by C. Christine Fair. Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia on January 16, 2008. Continue Reading
EPA To Set Up Human Resources Shared Service Centers – Questions Remain About Fate of Libraries
Follow up to postings on EPA library closures, this press release from January 10, 2008: EPA To Set Up Human Resources Shared Service Centers: “The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to establish shared service centers in three locations, beginning in June 2008, to process personnel and benefits actions for the agency’s 17,000 employees. The… Continue Reading
New GAO Report on Iran Sanctions
Iran Sanctions: Impact in Furthering U.S. Objectives Is Unclear and Should Be Reviewed, GAO-08-58, December 18, 2007. “The 2006 U.S. National Security Strategy stated that the United States faces challenges from Iran, including Iran’s proliferation efforts and involvement in international terrorism. To address these concerns, the United States employs a range of tools, including diplomatic… Continue Reading
