New York Times: “It is the Wall Street equivalent of a coroners report a 2,200-page document that lays out, in new and startling detail, how Lehman Brothers used accounting sleight of hand to conceal the bad investments that led to its undoing. The report [divided into 9 volumes], compiled by an examiner for the… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Monthly Archives: March 2010
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: January 2010
News release: “The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that total January exports of $142.7 billion and imports of $180.0 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $37.3 billion, down from $39.9 billion in December, revised. January exports were $0.5 billion less… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Global Food Security, Joint Strike Fighter, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Global Food Security: Progress toward a U.S. Governmentwide Strategy Is Under Way, but Approach Has Several Vulnerabilities, GAO-10-494T, March 11, 2010 Global Food Security: U.S. Agencies Progressing on Governmentwide Strategy, but Approach Faces Several Vulnerabilities, GAO-10-352, March 11, 2010 Joint Strike Fighter: Significant Challenges Remain as DOD Restructures Program, GAO-10-520T, March 11, 2010 Temporary Assistance… Continue Reading
NHTSA: Traffic Fatalities for 2009 Reach Record Low
News release: “The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that the number of overall traffic fatalities reported at the end of 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954, declining for the 15th consecutive quarter. According to early projections, the fatality rate, which takes into account the number of miles traveled, reached the lowest level ever… Continue Reading
CRS: Job Creation Programs of the Great Depression: the WPA and the CCC
Job Creation Programs of the Great Depression: the WPA and the CCC, Linda Levine, Specialist in Labor Economics, January 14, 2010 “With the exception of the Great Depression, the recession that began in December 2007 is the nations most severe according to various labor market indicators. The 7.1 million jobs cut from employer payrolls between… Continue Reading
Google Maps Announces Addition of Directions for Cyclists in U.S.
Grab Your Bike and Go with Google Maps – Users can now choose biking when deciding how to get to their destination: “If youre one of the 57 million Americans who ride a bike, mapping your daily commute, exploring new trails, and planning recreational rides just became a little bit easier. Google is announcing that… Continue Reading
Connecticut AG Sues Credit Agencies For Tainted Ratings That Enabled Financial Meltdown
News release: “Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today sued two of the nations largest credit rating agencies — Moodys and Standard & Poors — for knowingly assigning tainted credit ratings to risky investments backed by sub-prime loans. Blumenthal said Moodys and S&Ps alleged misconduct enabled the worst economic downturn in the nation since The Great Depression.… Continue Reading
Google Announces agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to Digitize Rare Books
Official Google Blog: “Today were announcing an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage [to] digitize up to a million out-of-copyright works. The libraries will select the works to be digitized from their collections, which include a wealth of rare historical books, including scientific works, literature from the period of the founding of Italy… Continue Reading
CBO: Fiscal Policy Choices March 2010
Fiscal Policy Choices, March 2010. CBO Director Doug Elmendorf’s presentation to the National Association for Business Economics. “CBO projects that the debt is on a trajectory that poses significant economic risks and becomes unsustainable. The key choices for medium-term and long-term policy are how quickly and in what way to restrain federal borrowing.” Related postings… Continue Reading
Joint Economic Committee Releases Report On Benefits of Paid Sick Leave
News release: “Representative Carolyn Maloney, Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), and Senator Charles E. Schumer, Vice Chair of the JEC, released a report today estimating the impact of the Healthy Families Act (S. 1152, introduced by Senator Chris Dodd, and H.R. 2460, introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro), on access to paid sick leave.… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Defense Acquisitions, Space Acquisitions, VA Faces Challenges, Afghanistan Drug Control, Iraqi Refugees
Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities for the Army to Position Its Ground Force Modernization Efforts for Success, GAO-10-493T, March 10, 2010 Space Acquisitions: DOD Poised to Enhance Space Capabilities, but Persistent Challenges Remain in Developing Space Systems, GAO-10-447T, March 10, 2010 VA Faces Challenges in Providing Substance Use Disorder Services and Is Taking Steps to Improve These… Continue Reading
President Obama Announces New Effort to Crack Down on Waste and Fraud
News release: “While discussing health insurance reform in St. Charles, Missouri today, President Obama announced new efforts to reign in waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs. He explained that the administration plans to prevent wasted dollars through the use of payment recapture audits by giving auditors incentives to catch improper payments… Continue Reading
