truliablog: “Today, we released the latest results of an ongoing survey about American attitudes toward foreclosed homes that weve been teaming up with RealtyTrac on since 2008. Lately, weve been hearing a lot about falling home values and the flood of foreclosures that are still on the market. Given these market factors, we wanted to… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2011
New ABA web portal helps servicemembers and their families understand their legal needs
“ABA Home Front features: a national directory of legal programs and organizations providing in-person consultation and representation for military families in need of legal help; an Information Center with publications and resources on a variety of legal topics that military families may encounter; and the Pro Bono Center connects civilian attorneys to pro bono legal… Continue Reading
BIS: OTC derivatives market activity in the second half of 2010
OTC derivatives market activity in the second half of 2010, 18 May 2011. “Key developments in the second half of 2010: After contracting by 4% in the first half of 2010, total notional amounts outstanding of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives rose by 3% in the second half, reaching $601 trillion by the end of December 2010.… Continue Reading
Report: Push for Electronic Medical Records Overlooks Security Gaps
PBS Newshour: ‘As the Obama administration pushes ahead with plans to increase the use of electronic medical records, two internal reports released Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services revealed “significant concerns” about security gaps in the system. The Office of the Inspector General found “a lack of general [information technology] security controls… Continue Reading
WTO Appellate Body issues report on Airbus dispute
The Appellate Body, on 18 May 2011, issued its report in the case European Communities and Certain Member States Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft (WT/DS316/AB/R). Summary of key findings: “The Appellate Body today upheld the Panel’s finding that certain subsidies provided by the European Union and certain Member state governments to Airbus… Continue Reading
Paper: Statistical Security for Social Security
Follow up to previous postings on funding for Social Security, see: Statistical Security for Social Security, Samir Soneji and Gary King. February 17, 2011, Forthcoming, Demography “The financial viability of Social Security, the single largest U.S. Government program, depends on accurate forecasts of the solvency of its intergenerational trust fund. We begin by detailing information… Continue Reading
Treasury Issues Backgrounders on Raising the Debt Limit
News release: “The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. The debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments. It simply… Continue Reading
National Research Council released final report in the America's Climate Choices series
Following up on previous postings on climate change, this news: “Warning that the risk of dangerous climate change impacts is growing with every ton of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, a National Research Council committee today reiterated the pressing need for substantial action to limit the magnitude of climate change and to prepare to… Continue Reading
FDIC Issues Consumer Tips on How to "Shop and Save" on Loans, Credit Cards and Deposit Accounts
News release: “The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today issued tips to help consumers shop for a variety of bank products and services by carefully evaluating their needs, contacting multiple institutions and reading the fine print before making a decision. The advice was published as a special edition of the quarterly FDIC Consumer News (the Spring… Continue Reading
TRAC Releases Federal Prosecution Data for February 2011
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: “Federal criminal prosecutions totaled 13,092 for the month of February according to the most recent data released by the Department of Justice. This was an increase of 18 percent from the previous month. Among the program categories, the largest number of prosecutions was seen in immigration, accounting for 49 percent of… Continue Reading
Roadmap for the Digital City – Achieving New York City's Digital Future
Roadmap for the Digital City – Achieving New York City’s Digital Future – The City of New York, May 2011 “New York City is one of the worlds leading digital metropolises. As Part I: State of the Digital City illustrates, New York City government engages over 25 million people a year through more than 200… Continue Reading
CBO – The Highway Trust Fund and Paying for Highways
The Highway Trust Fund and Paying for Highways – May 17, 2011, – Testimony before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate “The United States spends about $160 billion annually on highways, with about one-fourth of that total, or roughly $40 billion, coming from the federal government. Federal highway spending is funded mainly through taxes… Continue Reading
