News release: “The Internal Revenue Service kicked off the 2010 tax filing season today by issuing the results of a landmark six-month study that proposes new registration, testing and continuing education of tax return preparers. With more than 80 percent of American households using a tax preparer or tax software to help them prepare and file their taxes, higher standards for the tax preparer community will significantly enhance protections and service for taxpayers, increase confidence in the tax system and result in greater compliance with tax laws over the long term. To bring immediate help to taxpayers this filing season, the IRS also announced a sweeping new effort to reach tax return preparers with enforcement and education. As part of the outreach effort, the IRS is providing tips to taxpayers to ensure they are working with a reputable tax return preparer…Other measures the IRS anticipates taking are highlighted in the 55-page report released today.”
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Daily Archives: January 4, 2010
Blanket of Cold Weather One of Nation's Most Widespread Since January 1985
WSJ.com: “An Arctic blast swept across a large swath of the U.S. on Monday, sending temperatures plunging from Minnesota to Florida and bringing a bone-chilling start to the first workweek of the year…Temperatures fell below zero from the Great Plains to the Northeast, following a weekend of heavy snow. The reading of minus-16 degrees in… Continue Reading
CRS: The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress, Kevin R. Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, December 14, 2009 “President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA; P.L. 109-435; 120 Stat. 3198) on December 20, 2006. The PAEA was the first broad revision of the 1970 statute that… Continue Reading
Moussaoui's 9/11 Terror Conviction Affirmed by Appeals Court
FindLaw: “Rejecting a bid by convicted al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to overturn his guilty plea, a federal appeals court affirmed the French citizen’s terror conspiracy charges stemming from his role as an admitted terror camp trainee, member of the terrorist organization, and acknowledged flight-school his ‘intent to obtain pilot training to further “al Qaeda’s… Continue Reading
CRS: Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of U.S. Financial Supervision
Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of U.S. Financial Supervision, Mark Jickling, Specialist in Financial Economics, Edward V. Murphy, Specialist in Financial Economics, December 14, 2009: “Federal financial regulation in the United States has evolved through a series of piecemeal responses to developments and crises in financial markets. This report provides an overview of current U.S.… Continue Reading
60 Minutes' Bob Simon Reports On Research To Create An Elephant "Dictionary"
The Secret Language of Elephants: “For two decades, a group of wild African elephants has been watched over, studied and protected by their own guardian angel: an extraordinary American scientist named Andrea Turkalo. Turkalo’s own story is pretty amazing, but not nearly as compelling as the insights into elephant behavior her research has revealed, especially… Continue Reading
Report of Council to Membership of The American Law Institute On the Matter of the Death Penalty
Report of the Council to the Membership of The American Law Institute on the Matter of the Death Penalty: “On October 23, 2009, the ALI Council voted overwhelmingly, with some abstentions, to accept the resolution of the capital punishment matter as approved by the Institutes membership at the 2009 Annual Meeting in May. The resolution… Continue Reading
Fed Governor Elizabeth A. Duke: The Economic Outlook
Governor Elizabeth A. Duke At the Economic Forecast Forum, Raleigh, North Carolina, January 4, 2010 – The Economic Outlook “A number of factors are at work in explaining the reduction in bank loans. For instance, for most commercial banks, the quality of existing loan portfolios continues to deteriorate as levels of delinquent and nonperforming loans… Continue Reading
