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Daily Archives: February 23, 2010

International Telecommunication Union: Measuring the Information Society 2010

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2010 edition of Measuring the Information Society, “which features the latest ICT Development Index (IDI) and ICT Price Basket – two benchmarking tools to monitor information society developments worldwide. This new edition of the report highlights key trends at the global, regional and national levels, showcasing top performers and identifying the main drivers of change. The report also examines the evolution of the digital divide between 2002 and 2008 and discusses price developments over the last year.”

  • “The report shows that despite the recent economic downturn, the use of ICT services, such as mobile phones and the Internet, has continued to grow worldwide. All 159 countries included in the IDI have improved their scores during the past year confirming the ongoing diffusion of ICTs and the overall transition to a global information society. The top-ranking economies continue to be primarily high-income countries from the developed world but a number of developing countries have shown strong improvements in their IDI scores and rankings between 2007 and 2008. There are large inter- and intra-regional disparities in IDI performance, especially in the Americas and Asia and the Pacific regions, reflecting the income differences in those regions. The IDI results show that although the digital divide is still significant, it is slightly shrinking, especially between those countries with very high ICT levels and those with lower levels. Moreover, high IDI growth in some developing countries illustrates that countries with low ICT levels can catch up relatively quickly, provided their ICT sectors receive adequate policy attention.”

    • FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile – December 31, 2009

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    FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile, Fourth Quarter 2009 “Fourth Quarter Earnings Are Slightly Above Break-Even: The benefits of a recovering economy and stable financial markets in year-over-year comparisons were evident in the performance of insured depository institutions in the fourth quarter. The small profit reported by the industry in the quarter essentially represented break-even performance, but… Continue Reading

    NY State Comptroller: Wall Street Bonuses Rose Sharply in 2009

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    News release: “Wall Street bonuses paid to New York City securities industry employees rose by 17 percent to $20.3 billion in 2009, according to an estimate released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Total compensation at the largest securities firms grew even faster and industry profits could exceed an unprecedented $55 billion in 2009,… Continue Reading

    Time Variation in Okun's Law: A Canada and U.S. Comparison

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    Time Variation in Okun’s Law: A Canada and U.S. Comparison by Kimberly Beaton, International Economic Analysis Department, Bank of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. “This article investigates the stability of Okun’s law for Canada and the United States using a time varying parameter approach. Time variation is modeled as driftless random walks and is estimated using… Continue Reading

    New ITU Report: Measuring the Information Society 2010

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    News release: “Prices for information and communication technology (ICT) services are falling worldwide, yet broadband Internet remains outside the reach of many in poor countries, ITU says in its Measuring the Information Society 2010 report released today. The report features the latest ICT Development Index (IDI), which ranks 159 countries according to their ICT level… Continue Reading

    FCC: Broadband Adoption and Use in America

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    News release: “The Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan Consumer Survey, Broadband Adoption and Use in America, which found that affordability and lack of digital skills are the main reasons why 93 million Americans — one-third of the country — are not connected to high-speed Internet at home…As part of the plan, the… Continue Reading

    FTC Amends Free Credit Reports Rule To Help Consumers Steer Clear of ‘Free’ Offers that Cost Money

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    News release: “Starting April 1, advertising for “free credit reports” will require new disclosures to help consumers avoid confusing “free” offers – which often require consumers to spend money on credit monitoring or other products or services – with the no-strings-attached credit reports available at AnnualCreditReport.com, or 877-322-8228. The Federal Trade Commission’s Free Credit Reports… Continue Reading

    Policies for Increasing Economic Growth and Employment in the Short Term

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    CB: Policies for Increasing Economic Growth and Employment in the Short Term, February 23, 2010 “The United States has just suffered through the most severe recession since the 1930s. The economy’s output is currently about 6 percent below CBO’s estimate of potential gross domestic product (GDP)—the output the economy would produce if its resources were… Continue Reading

    Estimated Impact of American Recovery Act on Employment and Economic Output – October 2009 Through December 2009

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    CBO: Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output From October 2009 Through December 2009, February 2010 “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contains a variety of provisions intended to boost economic activity and employment in the United States. Section 1512(e) of the law requires the… Continue Reading

    EPA Sends Letter to Senators Limiting Scope of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule

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    Follow up to previous postings on greenhouse gas emissions, this news release: U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson issued a letter responding to a letter sent to her the evening of February 19 by eight U.S. Senators asking about the agency’s plans for 2010. “No facility will be required to address greenhouse gas emissions in… Continue Reading