News release: “U.S. house prices rose in the second quarter of 2010 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agencys (FHFA) seasonally adjusted purchase-only house price index (HPI). The HPI, calculated using home sales price information from Fannie Mae – and Freddie Mac – acquired mortgages, was 0.9 percent higher on a seasonally adjusted basis in… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: August 2010
SEC Adopts New Measures to Facilitate Director Nominations by Shareholders
News release includes Fact Sheet: “The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted changes to the federal proxy and other rules to facilitate the rights of shareholders to nominate directors to a company’s board. The new rules require companies to include the nominees of significant, long-term shareholders in their proxy materials, alongside the nominees of management.… Continue Reading
New GAO Report on Federal Contracting
Federal Contracting: Opportunities Exist to Increase Competition and Assess Reasons When Only One Offer Is Received, GAO-10-833, July 26, 2010 “You asked us to review federal agencies use of noncompetitive contracts and competitively awarded contracts in which only one offer was received. Accordingly, we determined (1) the extent to which agencies have awarded noncompetitive contracts… Continue Reading
Informing the Future of Housing Finance: Lessons from the Recent Past
A speech delivered by Charles Evans, President, Chicago Federal Reserve, August 24, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. “…homeownership is only good for families and communities if it can be sustained. Home purchases that are very highly leveraged or unaffordable subject the borrower to a great deal of risk. Theres no guarantee, as weve learned recently, that… Continue Reading
NASA: Drought Drives Decade-Long Decline in Plant Growth
Earth has done an ecological about-face: “Global plant productivity that once flourished under warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline, struck by the stress of drought. NASA-funded researchers Maosheng Zhao and Steven Running, of the University of Montana in Missoula, discovered the global shift during an analysis of NASA satellite… Continue Reading
Vice President Biden Releases Report on Recovery Act Impact on Innovation
News release: “Vice President Joe Biden today unveiled a new report, The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation, which finds that the Recovery Acts $100 billion investment in innovation is not only transforming the economy and creating new jobs, but helping accelerate significant advances in science and technology that cut costs for consumers,… Continue Reading
U.S. and Foreign Govt' buy backscatter x-ray scanners mounted in vans
Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports, via Forbes news that “American Science & Engineering, a company based in Billerica, Massachusetts, has sold U.S. and foreign government agencies more than 500 backscatter x-ray scanners mounted in vans that can be driven past neighboring vehicles to see their… Continue Reading
White Paper: The implications of the April 2010 oil spill on deepwater exploration and production
Follow up to postings on the Gulf Coast oil spill, via Grant Thornton – The implications of the April 2010 oil spill on deepwater exploration and production, Summer 2010: “This paper outlines the ramifications of BPs Macondo well disaster for energy exploration and production (E&P) businesses. The prospects of drilling and operating in the Gulf… Continue Reading
Nielsen Tracks Who Texts and Talks Most on Mobile Devices
Nielsen Wire: “According to Nielsen, African-Americans use the most voice minutes on average more than 1,300 a month. Hispanics are the next most talkative group, chatting an average of 826 minutes a month. Even Asians/Pacific Islanders, with 692 average monthly minutes, talk more than Whites, who use roughly 647 voice minutes a month. African-Americans… Continue Reading
Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output From April 2010 Through June 2010
Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output From April 2010 Through June 2010 – August 2010 “When ARRA was being considered, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that it would increase budget deficits by $787 billion between fiscal years… Continue Reading
Empowering Consumers: Can Financial Literacy Education Prevent Another Financial Crisis?
House Financial Services Committee, Empowering Consumers: Can Financial Literacy Education Prevent Another Financial Crisis? August 24, 2010 Related postings on financial system Continue Reading
New GAO Report – Government Auditing Standards: 2010 Exposure Draft
Government Auditing Standards: 2010 Exposure Draft, GAO-10-853G, August 01, 2010: “To help ensure that the standards continue to meet the needs of the audit community and the public it serves, the Comptroller General of the United States appointed the Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards to review the standards and recommend necessary changes. The Advisory… Continue Reading
