News release: “Today, President Obama…sign[ed] the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act into law…The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act is an important step towards stabilizing and reforming our nations financial and housing markets helping American homeowners and increasing the flow of credit during these difficult economic times. This legislation will strengthen our nation’s housing sector and facilitate the goals of the Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program by helping millions of American homeowners stay in their homes. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act will protect the American people by giving the federal government new tools and resources to prevent fraud. This reform bill will help the federal government keep markets free and fair, so that American consumers can thrive.”
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Daily Archives: May 20, 2009
Senate Oversight Hearing: Troubled Assets Relief Program
Oversight of the Troubled Assets Relief Program – The witness was The Honorable Timothy Geithner, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury. Statement by Timothy F. Geithner U.S. Secretary of the Treasury before the Senate Banking Committee, May 20, 2009: “Today, just four months into President Obamas term of office, there are important indications that our… Continue Reading
Online Martin Luther King Records Access (OKRA) Database
Online King Records Access (OKRA) Database: “A Joint Project of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, and the Robert W.Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. his searchable database gives you access to thousands… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Joint Strike Fighter, Space Acquisitions, USPS, Designated Federal Entities
Joint Strike Fighter: Strong Risk Management Essential as Program Enters Most Challenging Phase, GAO-09-711T, May 20, 2009 Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Financial Challenges Highlight Need for Improved Governance and Management, GAO-09-702T, May 20, 2009 Sovereign Wealth Funds: Laws Limiting Foreign Investment Affect Certain U.S. Assets and Agencies Have Various Enforcement Processes, GAO-09-608, May 20, 2009… Continue Reading
Ubiquitous Smart Cards Proven Vulnerable to Hacking
Government Technology: “University researchers have discovered vulnerabilities in NXP’s MIFARE Classic card, which belongs to a family of smart cards with more than 1 billion units distributed worldwide. These smart cards are used to access buildings and public transportation systems. One example is the Oyster card, which Londoners use for citywide travel. Researchers from Radboud… Continue Reading
Over 400 Cases of Swine Flu Around the World
Follow up to previous postings on swine flu and A/H1N1, from the Economist.com: Where swine flu has hit hardest: “The annual meeting of the World Health Assembly this week has been dominated by swine flu, as the number of cases continues to climb. Over 400 cases have been confirmed since Monday May 18th alone; Greece… Continue Reading
PBGC Deficit Climbs to $33.5 Billion at Mid-Year
News release: “The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation posted a $33.5 billion deficit for the first half of fiscal year 2009, PBGC Acting Director Vince Snowbarger told the Senate Special Committee on Aging at a hearing today. Based on unaudited financial numbers as of March 31, the deficit represents an increase over FY 2008s $11 billion… Continue Reading
U-M first to sign new digitization agreement with Google
Follow up to previous articles on Google Book Search: “The University of Michigan today announced that it has expanded its historic agreement with Google Inc. to create digital copies of millions of U-M library books and journals. The amended agreement, which strengthens library preservation efforts and increases the public’s access to books, is possible because… Continue Reading
Report Highlights Test Prep ParadoxPaying for Test Prep Doesnt Yield Big Returns
News release: “Students and families may not be getting as much help as they think from commercial admission test preparation, according to a report commissioned by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Existing academic research suggests average gains as a result of commercial test preparation are in the neighborhood of 30 points on… Continue Reading
Report: How Philadelphia and Other Cities are Balancing Budgets in a Time of Recession
“A new study from the Pew Philadelphia Research Initiative looks at how 13 major cities are coping with the recession and finds that most are facing significant budget gaps and are cutting services and personnel in response. Philadelphia is one of four cities studied that is planning at least one major tax hikea five-year, one… Continue Reading
Annual Report for the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Developmentt
“The Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (IIC) is an autonomous non-profit institution established by Guyana and the Commonwealth. Through the dedication of 371,000 hectares (about one million acres) of intact tropical rainforest by the Government and People of Guyana to the International Community, the IIC aims to show how tropical forests can… Continue Reading
