News release: “The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sued the Department of Justice (DOJ) today for answers about “secret interpretations” of the USA PATRIOT Act, signed into law ten years ago today. Several senators have warned that the DOJ is using Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act to support what government attorneys call a “sensitive collection… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: October 2011
Medicaids Long-Term Care Users: Spending Patterns Across Institutional and Community-based Settings
“The nation’s primary payer for long-term services and supports, Medicaid finances 43 percent of all spending on long-term care services and covers a range of services and supports, including those needed by people to live independently in the community, as well as services provided in institutions. This report provides an overview of long-term care users… Continue Reading
Google's Transparency Reporting – government entities requests for removal of content
Google Transparency Report – Government Requests: “Like other technology and communications companies, Google regularly receives requests from government agencies and courts around the world to remove content from our services and hand over user data. Our Government Requests tool discloses the number of requests we receive from each government in six-month reporting periods with certain… Continue Reading
112th Congress Gold Mouse Awards Released
News release: “Congressional websites are getting better, according to an analysis by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF). The nonprofit organization graded 618 congressional websites and found the most common grade moved from an F in the 111th Congress to a B in the 112th Congress. CMF has been grading congressional websites since 2001 and issues… Continue Reading
First Google.org-funded geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source
News release: “New research from SMU’s Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today. Sophisticated mapping produced from the research, viewable via Google Earth at… Continue Reading
IMF: Financial Stability Issues in Emerging Market and Developing Economies
Financial Stability Issues in Emerging Market and Developing Economies – Report to the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, October 2011 “At the November 2010 Summit in Seoul, the G20 Leaders asked the FSB, IMF and the World Bank to deliver a report on financial stability issues that are of particular interest to emerging… Continue Reading
CRS – Pakistan-U.S. Relations: A Summary
Pakistan-U.S. Relations: A Summary. Alan Kronstadt, Specialist in South Asian Affairs, October 20, 2011 “This report summarizes important recent developments in Pakistan and in Pakistan-U.S. relations. Obama Administration engagement with Pakistan has been seriously disrupted by recent events. A brief analysis of the current state of Pakistan-U.S. relations illuminates the main areas of contention and… Continue Reading
CRS – Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians
Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians – Susan G. Chesser, Information Research Specialist, September 30, 2011 “This report collects statistics from a variety of sources on casualties sustained during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), which began on October 7, 2001, and is ongoing. OEF actions take place primarily in Afghanistan; however, OEF casualties also includes American… Continue Reading
New Poll: "Americans' Approval of Congress Drops to Single Digits"
NYT: “With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans distrust of government at its highest level ever.” Related postings on financial system Continue Reading
CBO Testimony on Discretionary Spending, October 2011
Discretionary Spending, October 26, 2011 – Testimony before the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, U.S. Congress “Discretionary outlaysthe part of federal spending that lawmakers generally control through annual appropriation actstotaled about $1.35 trillion in 2011, or close to 40 percent of federal outlays. Slightly more than half of that spending was for defense. The… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Neurocognitive Assessment Tools, Health Care Price Transparency, Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook
Preventing Sexual Harassment: DOD Needs Greater Leadership Commitment and an Oversight Framework, GAO-11-809, Sep 21, 2011 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Actions Needed to Reduce Evolving but Uncertain Federal Financial Risks, GAO-12-86, Oct 24, 2011 Department of Defense: Use of Neurocognitive Assessment Tools in Post-Deployment Identification of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, GAO-12-27R, Oct 24, 2011 Health… Continue Reading
EIA Analysis of Impacts of a Clean Energy Standard as requested by Chairman Hall
“This report, Analysis of Impacts of a Clean Energy Standard – October 2011 – responds to a request from Chairman Ralph M. Hall for an analysis of the impacts of a Clean Energy Standard (CES). The request, as outlined in the letter included in Appendix A, sets out specific assumptions and scenarios for the study.… Continue Reading
