Consumer Finance Protection Bureau: “The people just now reaching their sixties are part of Americas largest-ever generation of retirees. The CFPB is creating an Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans to ensure we serve this large community effectively. This Office will connect seniors with what they need to guide themselves through their financial lives.… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2011
Reauthorization of PATRIOT Act on Deadline
RollCall: “After two days of wrangling and last-minute deal-making in the Senate, Congress cleared a reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act on Thursday, and the Obama administration announced that the president signed the bill into law before provisions of the anti-terrorism act expired at midnight. A standoff over amendments in the Senate ate into the… Continue Reading
Agencies Have Identified 78 Systems Migrating to the Cloud Within One Year
Via WSJ: “This year, the government will spend $80 billion on IT, at agencies as varied as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, and on non-classified sections of the US Department of Defense [see Federal Cloud Computing Strategy Published]. As slices of government spending go, this is not huge,… Continue Reading
Why Bonuses Went Up in 2010 – Analysis of S&P 500 Annual Incentive Plan Targets and Their Payouts
News release: “After two consecutive years of declining pay, 2010 saw a return to increased pay for many CEOs. Equilar’s recent research showed a 28.2 percent increase in median pay for chief executives in the S&P 500. Small- and mid-cap CEOs also saw their pay rebound by over 20 percent from 2009 to 2010. In… Continue Reading
The Psychological Cost of War: Military Combat and Mental Health
The Psychological Cost of War: Military Combat and Mental Health, Resul Cesur, Georgia State University; Joseph Sabia, San Diego State University; Erdal Tekin, Georgia State University “While descriptive evidence suggests that deployment in the Global War on Terrorism is associated with adverse mental health, the causal effect of combat is not well established. Using data… Continue Reading
Cigarette Package Health Warnings and Interest in Quitting Smoking -14 Countries, 2008–2010
CDC: Cigarette Package Health Warnings and Interest in Quitting Smoking, 14 Countries, 2008–2010 “The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires health warnings on tobacco product packages sold in countries that ratified the WHO FCTC treaty (1). These warnings are expected to 1) describe the harmful effects of tobacco use; 2)… Continue Reading
CDC Identifies 10 Public Health Achievements of First Decade of 21st Century
News release: “The major public health achievements of the first 10 years of the 21st century included improvements in vaccine preventable and infectious diseases, reductions in deaths from certain chronic diseases, declines in deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes, and more, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The… Continue Reading
Women's Health Care Chartbook – Key Findings from the Kaiser Women's Health Study
Women’s Health Care Chartbook – Key Findings from the Kaiser Women’s Health Study, May 2011: “While most women in the U.S. enjoy good health, one third report that they live with a chronic health problem and one in four report depression or anxiety. As women age, they are more likely to experience chronic health problems… Continue Reading
WSJ: Foreclosure Activity Plunged in April
WSJ: Banks initiated fewer foreclosures in April than at any time since late 2008 even though the number of loans in foreclosure remains near record high levels, offering the latest evidence that banks are struggling to repair hobbled foreclosure processes. Mortgage companies started foreclosures on 187,400 properties in April, a 31% decline from March and… Continue Reading
Endangered species listing for Atlantic bluefin tuna not warranted
NOAA: Endangered species listing for Atlantic bluefin tuna not warranted – “After an extensive scientific review, NOAA announced today that Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA has committed to revisit this decision by early 2013, when more information will be available about the effects of the… Continue Reading
White House Posts Regulation Reform Initiatives From Two Dozen Agencies
White House Regulation Reform: “Earlier this year, President Obama outlined his plan to create a 21st-century regulatory system one protects public health and welfare while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. His Executive Order on Regulation, in short, said the following: Always consider costs and ways to reduce burdens for American businesses… Continue Reading
Draft Agreement Would Allow DHS to Store EU Passenger Data for 15 Years
EPIC: “A draft agreement between the United States and the European Union will allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to store passenger data for up to 15 years. The passenger data includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information, and even ethnic origin, political opinions, and details of health or sex life. The… Continue Reading
