News release: “The United States has filed a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit against Deutsche Bank AG and its wholly owned subsidiary, MortgageIT Inc. The governments complaint seeks damages and civil penalties under the False Claims Act for repeated false certifications made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in connection with the residential mortgage origination and sponsorship practices of MortgageIT. To date, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has paid insurance claims on more than 3,100 mortgages, totaling $386 million, for mortgages endorsed by MortgageIT.”
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Daily Archives: May 3, 2011
FTC Staff Report Finds 60% Increase in Pharma Industry Deals That Delay Consumers' Access to Lower-Cost Generic Drugs
News release: “Pharmaceutical companies struck an unprecedented number of deals in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 in which the manufacturers of branded products paid potential generic rivals and generic companies agreed to defer the introduction of lower-cost medicines for American consumers, according to an overview of industry data released by the staff of the Federal Trade… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: School Meal Programs, VA Health Care, Overstay Enforcement
School Meal Programs: More Systematic Development of Specifications Could Improve the Safety of Foods Purchased through USDA’s Commodity Program, GAO-11-376, May 03, 2011 VA Health Care: Weaknesses in Policies and Oversight Governing Medical Equipment Pose Risks to Veterans’ Safety, GAO-11-591T, May 03, 2011 VA Health Care: Weaknesses in Policies and Oversight Governing Medical Supplies and… Continue Reading
EPIC Proposes "Fair Information Practices" for Google
“Today EPIC submitted detailed comments on a landmark privacy agreement that requires Google to adopt a “Comprehensive Privacy Plan” to safeguard the privacy and personal information of Internet users. In comments to the Federal Trade Commission, EPIC recommended that the FTC require Google to adopt and implement comprehensive Fair Information Practices complaint EPIC: In re… Continue Reading
CRS – Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Set to Expire May 27, 2011
Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Set to Expire, May 27, 2011 “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) provides a statutory framework by which government agencies may, when gathering foreign intelligence investigation, obtain authorization to conduct electronic surveillance2 or physical searches,3 utilize pen registers and trap and trace devices, or access specified business… Continue Reading
Briefing on the Status of NRC Response to Events in Japan and Briefing on Station Blackout
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Briefing on the Status of NRC Response to Events in Japan and Briefing on Station Blackout, April 28, 2011 See also accompanying slides Continue Reading
EIA – Petroleum Marketing Monthly
Petroleum Marketing Monthly, May 2011 With Data for February 2011, Release date: May 2, 2011 “International political affairs along with supply and demand issues influenced trends in world crude oil prices during February. At the start of the month, continuing protests against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak pushed prices for many key streams higher. Concern about… Continue Reading
Poll: Americans See Medicare, Social Security "Crisis" Within 10 Years
Gallup: “Two out of three Americans (67%) believe Social Security and Medicare costs are already creating a crisis for the federal government (34%) or will do so within 10 years (33%). The vast majority believe the programs will create a crisis at some point, with 7% believing the programs’ costs will not create a crisis… Continue Reading
Analyzing Cancer Risks Around Nuclear Facilities
News release: “Nuclear facilities licensed by the NRC routinely release very small amounts of radioactivity during normal operations. Even though the NRC closely monitors the plants and assures that these releases are well below regulatory limits, some community members remain concerned about potential health risks from these facilities. To address the concerns, the NRC has… Continue Reading
