News release: “Customer experience analytics firm ForeSee today released its report on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Quarterly E-Government Satisfaction Index, including an analysis of the state of social media in the federal government. ForeSees audit of social media activity in the federal government identified clear themes and best practices, showing that the public… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: October 2011
EIA launches new electricity-focused web page
“EIA launched a new web-based report called the Electricity Monthly Update, replacing the Monthly Flash Estimates for Electric Power Data. This new product introduces a feature story, interactive graphics, a new presentation flow, and new electricity industry data sources. The report is organized into four sections: End Use Resource Use Regional Wholesale Markets Coal Stocks Continue Reading
Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007
Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007, October 2011: “After-tax income for the highest-income households grew more than it did for any other group. (After-tax income is income after federal taxes have been deducted and government transferswhich are payments to people through such programs as Social Security and Unemployment Insurancehave been… Continue Reading
AWEA U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report Year Ending 2010
News release: “The third quarter of 2011 saw over 1,200 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity installed, bringing installations through the first three quarters of the year to 3,360 MW. The U.S. wind industry now totals 43,461 MW of cumulative wind capacity through the end of September 2011. The U.S. wind industry has added over… Continue Reading
Income Inequality in the United States Highlighted in New Reports
U.S. Neighborhood Income Inequality in the 20052009 Period, American Community Survey Reports, October 2011 – “Income inequality is one measure of societal conditions. Some have argued that large (and recently increasing) income inequality is potentially harmful to social stabilityletting the rich get richer while the poor get poorer is thought to be bad for the… Continue Reading
BLS Mass Layoffs Summary – September 2011
News release: “Employers took 1,495 mass layoff actions in September involving 153,229 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in September… Continue Reading
NYT: "Archive Offers Rare Look Into Hussein's Private Ruminations"
NYT: “During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, United States forces captured a voluminous archive of documents and recorded meetings that chronicle the deliberations of Saddam Hussein and his inner sanctum. Much of the collection has yet to be made public. But the Conflict Records Research Center, a government archive, has released 20 transcripts and documents… Continue Reading
BIS: Basel capital framework's treatment of trade finance
News release: “The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has evaluated the impact of Basel II and Basel III on trade finance in the context of low income countries. As a result, it adopted two technical changes to the Basel regulatory capital adequacy framework related to the treatment of trade finance that will help promote trade… Continue Reading
FHFA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Announce HARP Changes to Reach More Borrowers
News release: “The Federal Housing Finance Agency, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), today announced a series of changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) in an effort to attract more eligible borrowers who can benefit from refinancing their home mortgage. The program enhancements were developed at FHFAs direction with input from… Continue Reading
TRAC: Decline in Federal Prosecutions from ATF-Led Investigations
Jeff Lamicela/TRAC: “During the first ten months of FY 2011, federal prosecutions credited to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have fallen almost 7 percent from the previous fiscal year. This continues a downward slide that began six years ago, according to TRAC’s analysis of timely Justice Department data. So far this… Continue Reading
FTC Gives Final Approval to Settlement with Google over Buzz Rollout
News release: “Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has accepted as final a settlement with Google, and authorized the staff to provide responses to the commenters of record. The settlement resolves charges that Google used deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy promises to consumers when it launched its social network, Google… Continue Reading
Significant growth in new suburban poor challenges communities across country
NYT Infographic: Poverty in the Suburbs – “Nearly 60 percent of the Cleveland metro areas poor population lives in the suburbs, compared with 46 percent a decade earlier. Eight other metro areas shifted to majority suburban poor in the last decade.” NYT: “The poor population in Americas suburbs long a symbol of a stable… Continue Reading
