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Daily Archives: October 28, 2008

DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2008 National Intelligence Program

News release: “Consistent with Section 601 of the “Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007,” Public Law 110-53, the Director of National Intelligence is disclosing to the public the aggregate amount of funds appropriated by Congress to the National Intelligence Program (NIP) for fiscal year 2008 not later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year. The aggregate amount appropriated to the NIP for fiscal year 2008 was $47.5 Billion.”

New GAO Reports: Check 21 Act

Check 21 Act: Most Consumers Have Accepted and Banks Are Progressing Toward Full Adoption of Check Truncation, GAO-09-8, October 28, 2008: “The purpose of Check 21, which took effect in 2004, was to facilitate electronic check processing by authorizing the acceptance of substitute checks as the legal equivalent of the original checks.” Check 21 Act:… Continue Reading

Global Network Initiative Launched

“Today a diverse coalition of leading Internet companies, major human rights and free press organizations, investors and academics launched the Global Network Initiative to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in information and communications technologies. CDT and Business for Social Responsibility co-facilitated an 18-month effort by these groups to craft the key documents… Continue Reading

BJS: Civil Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts, 2005

News release: “Over 14,000 plaintiff winners received monetary damages in civil trials nationwide in 2005, with less than 5 percent receiving damages exceeding $1 million, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. The BJS study is the first nationally representative measure of general civil (that is, tort, contract, and real property) bench… Continue Reading

Authors, Publishers, and Google Reach Landmark Settlement

News release: “The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Google today announced a groundbreaking settlement agreement on behalf of a broad class of authors and publishers worldwide that would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials in the U.S. from the collections of a number of major… Continue Reading

Department of State Resource Guide: Polling Places, Candidate Info, Electoral College

List of Polling Places in the Washington Metropolitan Area Voting States’ Polls Closing Times and Networks Projections CANDIDATES – John McCain | Barack Obama eJournal – “The Candidates” Individual States and Background Information ELECTORAL COLLEGE | Background Information | eJournal – “The Electoral College” CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS | Background Information Continue Reading

The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers' Retirement Security

Testimony for the House Education and Labor Committee – The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers’ Retirement Security, October 7, 2008. Additional Statement for the Record, Jack VanDerhei, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) “Background — The ability of future cohorts of retirees to have broadly defined levels of retirement security has been the focus… Continue Reading

Information Technology Risks and Controls and Fair Credit Reporting Act

OTS 08-051 – OTS Issues New Examination Procedures on Identity Theft Red Flags and Address Discrepancies: “This Regulatory Bulletin transmits revised Examination Handbook Section 341, Information Technology Risks and Controls, and revised Examination Handbook Section 1300, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The revised Handbook Sections contain new guid-ance and examination procedures for the final rules… Continue Reading