DRAFT Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (Revised Draft): “The Revised Draft FIPS 140-3 is the second public draft of NISTs proposed revision of FIPS 140-2. The Revised Draft was developed using the comments received on the first public draft, which was posted for public review and comment on July 13, 2007, and the FIPS 140-3… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: December 2009
U.S. Part of 4 Country Climate Change Agreement
Follow up to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Draft of Global Climate Pact, today’s White House announcement: A Meaningful and Unprecedented Breakthrough Here in Copenhagen – “In a much-anticipated United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the President arrived after nearly two weeks of work with the firm intention of seizing the… Continue Reading
EPIC Files Lawsuit for Information about "Digital Strip Search" Devices
Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports, this news: On December 17, 2009, EPIC filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice concerning the use of devices that capture images of individuals stripped naked. The Transportation Security Administration has confirmed the Whole Body Imaging machines are being… Continue Reading
The Death Penalty in 2009: Year End Report
“The Death Penalty Information Center released the The Death Penalty in 2009: Year End Report on December 18, noting that the country is expected to finish 2009 with the fewest death sentences since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Eleven states considered abolishing the death penalty this year, a significant increase… Continue Reading
WSJ: Tracking the Nation's Bank Failures
Tracking the Nation’s Bank Failures – banks, saving banks and thrifts that have failed since the beginning of 2008 – last update December 11, 2009 at which time the number was 158. Check this site for regular updates. Related postings on financial system Continue Reading
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006
HHS Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report December 18, 2009: Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006 “In 2006, on average, approximately 1% or one child in every 110 in the 11 ADDM sites was classified as having an ASD (approximate range: 1:80–1:240 children [males: 1:70; females: 1:315]).… Continue Reading
HHS OIG: CDCs Ethics Program for Special Government Employees on Federal Advisory Committees
CDCs Ethics Program for Special Government Employees on Federal Advisory Committees (OEI-04-07-00260), December 2009. “We found that CDC had a systemic lack of oversight of the ethics program for special Government Employees (SGEs). That is, CDC and its SGEs did not comply with ethics requirements in 2007.” Continue Reading
Cybersafety Booklet for Parents and Kids Now Available
News release: “A new booklet released today by the Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies helps parents and teachers steer kids safely through the online and mobile phone worlds. Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online was unveiled…by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Federal Communications Commission Chairman… Continue Reading
Financial Regulators Propose Guidance on Reverse Mortgage Products
News release: “The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), on behalf of its members, released proposed guidance today on reverse mortgage products. The guidance is designed to help financial institutions ensure that their risk management and consumer protection practices adequately address the compliance and reputation risks raised by reverse mortgage lending. The proposed guidance addresses… Continue Reading
Social Networking, Race and Ethnicity
Mercurynews.com, Facebook releases first-ever demographic look at users: “Illustrating the growing diversity of online users as the Internet matures, a study by Facebook researchers found that about 11 percent of the social network’s approximately 100 million U.S. members were African-American, about 9 percent were Latino and 6 percent were Asian, according to a post on… Continue Reading
Brookings MetroMonitor December 2009
“The MetroMonitor is a quarterly, interactive barometer of the health of Americas 100 largest metropolitan economies. It examines trends in metropolitan-level employment, output, and housing conditions to look beneath the hood of national economic statistics to portray the diverse metropolitan trajectories of recession and recovery across the country. The aim of the MetroMonitor is to… Continue Reading
FTC Challenges Intel's Dominance of Worldwide Microprocessor Markets
News release: “The Federal Trade Commission today sued Intel Corp., the worlds leading computer chip maker, charging that the company has illegally used its dominant market position for a decade to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly.In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Intel has waged a systematic campaign to shut out rivals competing microchips… Continue Reading
