What are the furloughs: “The Disability Determination Services (DDS) are state agencies responsible for developing medical evidence and making disability determinations. The Federal Government fully funds the DDS budgets through the Social Security Administration (SSA). The current economic climate presents budget-balancing challenges for many states. As a result, some states are furloughing state employees. A… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2011
BLS: Payroll employment increases 216,000 in March 2011
Employment Situation, March 2011: “Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000 in March, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 8.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, leisure and hospitality, and mining. Employment in manufacturing continued to trend up. The number of… Continue Reading
A Guide For the Perplexed Part IV: The Rejection of the Google Books Settlement
A Guide For the Perplexed Part IV: The Rejection of the Google Books Settlement, by Jonathan Band “On March 22, 2011, Judge Denny Chin rejected the proposed settlement in copyright infringement litigation over the Google Library Project. Judge Chin found that the settlement was not fair, reasonable, and adequate as required by the Federal Rules… Continue Reading
Best Practices Study of Social Media Records Policies
Best Practices Study of Social Media Records Policies, ACT-IAC Collaboration & Transformation (C&T) Shared Interest Group (SIG), March 2011 “Government agencies are increasingly incorporating Web 2.0 collaborative technologies, also known as social media, such as wikis and blogs, in conducting agency business. Federal recordkeeping requirements include developing and implementing policies for Federal records and cover… Continue Reading
Report to Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, March 2011
Fact Sheet – Report to the Congress, March 2011: “As required by the Congress, each March the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reviews Medicare payment policies and makes recommendations. The 2011 report includes payment policy recommendations for ten payment systems: hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physician and other health professional, ambulatory surgical center, outpatient dialysis, skilled nursing,… Continue Reading
National Archives Nixon Library Opens New Watergate Gallery
News release: “[March 31, 2011], Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero opened The Watergate Gallery, a permanent exhibition at the National Archives Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. This new exhibition, designed to help todays visitor make sense of the web of personalities, actions and intentions at the heart of the Watergate scandal,… Continue Reading
US Court of Appeals – 9th Circuit YouTube Channel
“This is the official YouTube Channel for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In addition to these video recordings, you may find audio recordings of our hearings on our internet site at http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov.” Continue Reading
Open Government Sites Initiated Under Obama Targeted for Closing
OMB prepares for open gov sites to go dark in May: “Government sources confirm that the Office of Management and Budget is planning to take seven websites dark in two months because of a lack of funding. One government official, who requested anonymity because they didn’t get permission to discuss the topic, said funding will… Continue Reading
World's largest offshore-rig company reports record bonuses after historical oil spill
WSJ: “Transocean Ltd. had its “best year in safety performance” despite the explosion of its Deepwater Horizon rig that left 11 dead and oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the world’s largest offshore-rig company said in a securities filing Friday.” Continue Reading
New Report Defines Economic Security, Shows Families Struggling to Reach American Dream
News release: “As Congress works to meet the April 8 deadline for a final budget deal for fiscal year 2011, a new report on family economic security details the challenges that many Americans face in covering their basic expenses and the additional hardships families could suffer as a result of proposed budget cuts. The national… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: 2010 Lobbying Disclosure, Combating Child Pornography, Key Indicator Systems
2010 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Lobbyists’ Compliance with Disclosure Requirements, GAO-11-452, April 01, 2011 Military Base Realignments and Closures: Review of the Iowa and Milan Army Ammunition Plants, GAO-11-488R, April 01, 2011 Combating Child Pornography: Steps Are Needed to Ensure That Tips to Law Enforcement Are Useful and Forensic Examinations Are Cost Effective, GAO-11-334, March… Continue Reading
The Economist: New studies confirm rate at which the earth's temperature is rising
The Economist: “On Thursday March 31st Richard Muller of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory gave evidence to the energy and commerce committee of Americas House of Representatives on the surface temperature record…a new and methodologically interesting study, carried out by people some of whom might have been expected to take a somewhat sceptical view on the issue,… Continue Reading
