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Daily Archives: November 20, 2011

Managing the Risks of Shale Gas: Identifying a Pathway toward Responsible Development

“For decades, natural gas has played an important role in electricity generation, industrial uses, and heating in the United States—and with recent improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) of shale formations, drillers can now access a vastly greater amount of gas at lower cost than in the past. The rapid growth in drilling and extraction, however, has resulted in tensions—from the community level to the federal policy level. Questions about the risks and safety of shale gas development continue, even as industry has improved disclosure, shared best practices, and assured the public that hydraulic fracturing techniques are safe. Given these challenges, this year RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP) launched an initiative to identify the priority risks associated with shale gas development and recommend strategies for responsible development.”

New on LLRX – ShoppingBots and Online Shopping Resources 2012

Via LLRX.com – ShoppingBots and Online Shopping Resources 2012 – Marcus P. Zillman’s guide, great for holiday and year round shopping, and comprises a comprehensive listing of shoppingbot and online shopping resources and sites on the Internet. Comparison shopping for books, electronics, gadgets, clothing, green products, hotels? Looking for coupons, discounts, vouchers or last minute… Continue Reading

Corporate Governance of Political Expenditures: 2011 Benchmark Report on S&P 500 Companies

Corporate Governance of Political Expenditures: 2011 Benchmark Report on S&P 500 Companies, By Heidi Welsh and Robin Young, November 2011 “This study takes a close look at the nature and extent of the voluntary governance reforms companies have made, using a broad definition of “political spending,” to see how these practices affect key disclosure and… Continue Reading

FTC Issues Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2011

“The Federal Trade Commission has issued its Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Performance and Accountability Report. The report shows American taxpayers how the FTC has managed its resources, highlights major accomplishments in fulfilling the FTC’s two core goals of protecting consumers and promoting competition, and outlines plans for addressing future challenges. As required by the Reports… Continue Reading

Over 100,000 primary care providers sign up to adopt electronic health records through their Regional Extension Centers

News release: “The HHS Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced today that more than 100,000 primary care providers are adopting certified Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to help improve their quality of care and ultimately lower health care costs. This commitment by more than one-third of all primary care providers nationwide to… Continue Reading

Obama Administration Proposes Historic Fuel Economy Standards to Reduce Dependence on Oil, Save Consumers Money at the Pump

News release: “Building on President Obama’s historic national program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today formally unveiled their joint proposal to set stronger fuel economy and greenhouse gas pollution standards for Model Year 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks. Cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are currently… Continue Reading

Dept. of Energy IG – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Unclassified Cyber Security Program – 2011

Evaluation Report – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Unclassified Cyber Security Program – 2011. OAS-M-12-01 November 2011. “The Commission had taken actions to improve its cyber security posture and mitigate risks associated with certain issues identified during our FY 2010 evaluation. While these measures are noteworthy, our current evaluation disclosed that additional action is needed… Continue Reading

Discussion Paper – Strategic Release of News at the EPA

Strategic Release of News at the EPA – Lucija Muehlenbachs, Elisabeth Newcomb Sinha, and Nitish Ranjan Sinha, October 26, 2011 “Using advances in text analysis, we examine the content and timing of 21,493 press releases issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) between 1994 and 2009. Press releases announcing enforcement actions or regulatory changes… Continue Reading

Law School Transparency – "Advocating for the means to make informed decisions"

“What is LST? – Law School Transparency is a Tennessee non-profit dedicated to encouraging and facilitating the transparent flow of consumer information. It was founded by two Vanderbilt University Law School students in 2009 on the belief that other law schools could be as transparent as Vanderbilt. LST operates independently of any legal institutions, legal… Continue Reading