News release: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today released Large-Scale Asset Purchases by the Federal Reserve: Did They Work?, the latest article in its Economic Policy Review series from the Research and Statistics Group. The Federal Reserves large-scale asset purchases (LSAPs) made between late 2008 and March 2010 were effective in lowering longer… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2011
Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Fluctuations in the U.S. Income Distribution, 20042007
Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Fluctuations in the U.S. Income Distribution, 20042007, Household Economic Studies, By John J. Hisnanick and Katherine G. Gief, March 2011 “Between 2004 and 2007, the (real) median household income in the United States increased 3.2 percent, as measured by data available from the Current Population Surveys (CPS) Annual Social and Economic… Continue Reading
OPM Guidance and Information on Furlough
The Potential Impact of a Lapse in Appropriations on Federal Employees: “If the current continuing resolution expires at 12:01 a.m. on April 9, 2011 without passage of an FY 2011 appropriations bill or a further continuing resolution, Federal departments and agencies will be required to execute contingency plans for a lapse in appropriations (more commonly… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve Payments Study Provides Details on Increasing Role of Electronic Payments
News release: “The 2010 Federal Reserve Payments Study released today reveals in greater detail increasing adoption of electronic alternatives for payments in the United States by consumers, businesses and governments. The study examined payments made between 2006 and 2009. In December, the Federal Reserve released a summary of the studys findings that highlighted trends related… Continue Reading
EPA Announces Updated Energy Star Standards for Lighting
News release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing updated standards for light fixtures to qualify for the Energy Star label an efficiency program that has saved consumers money on their energy bills while contributing to cleaner air and protecting peoples health since 1992. Effective October 1, 2011, to qualify for the Energy… Continue Reading
Report: 10,000 Shipping Containers Lost At Sea Each Year
Singularity Hub: “Right now, as you read this, there are five or six million shipping containers on enormous cargo ships sailing across the worlds oceans. And about every hour, on average, one is falling overboard never to be seen again. Its estimated that 10,000 of these large containers are lost at sea each year, and… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Military Treatment Facilities on Guam, Human Services Programs, Medicaid and CHIPS, State Dept. IG
Defense Infrastructure: The Navy Needs Better Documentation to Support Its Proposed Military Treatment Facilities on Guam, GAO-11-206, Apr 5, 2011 Human Services Programs: Opportunities to Reduce Inefficiencies, GAO-11-531T, Apr 5, 2011 Medicaid and CHIP: Reports for Monitoring Children’s Health Care Services Need Improvement, GAO-11-293R, Apr 5, 2011 – Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program… Continue Reading
Gallup: Federal Government Hiring Plunges in March
News release: “Gallup’s Job Creation Index in March showed the jobs picture within the federal government turning sharply negative to -9, with 25% of federal employees reporting that their employer was hiring and 34% saying their employer was letting people go. This marks a rapid deterioration from the +1 of February and +18 in April… Continue Reading
New Tax Issues Arising from the Dodd-Frank Act and Related Changes to Market Practice for Derivatives
Nijenhuis, Erika, New Tax Issues Arising from the Dodd-Frank Act and Related Changes to Market Practice for Derivatives (January 6, 2011). Columbia Journal of Tax Law, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2011. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1611212 “The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) requires that most over-the-counter derivatives be cleared through a clearinghouse… Continue Reading
Internal Revenue Service Data Book, 2010
Internal Revenue Service Data Book, 2010 “During the fiscal year, IRS employees processed 230 million returns, including individual income, corporation income, and employment income tax returns. We provided $467 billion in refunds to these taxpayers and collected $2.3 trillion for the Federal government, provided taxpayer assistance through 305 million visits to IRS.gov, and assisted more… Continue Reading
Symantec Internet Security Threat Report: Trends for 2010
Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Trends for 2010, Volume 16, Published April 2011 “Spam and phishing data is captured through a variety of sources, including the Symantec Probe Network, a system of more than 5 million decoy accounts; MessageLabs Intelligence, a respected source of data and analysis for messaging security issues, trends and statistics; as… Continue Reading
United States Government Manual Online: The Official Handbook of the Federal Government
“The United States Government Manual is the official handbook of the Federal Government. This currently updated edition of the Government Manual provides comprehensive and authoritative information on the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations with U.S. membership, and Federal boards, commissions, and committees. Agency descriptions typically include:… Continue Reading
