Budgetary Effects of the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, as Posted on the Website of the House Committee on Rules on December 22, 2011 Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: December 2011
UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2011
“The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics provides essential data for analysing and measuring world trade, investment, international financial flows and development. Reliable statistical information is often considered as the first step during the preparation of making recommendations or taking decisions that countries will commit for many years as they strive to integrate into the world economy… Continue Reading
Fiscal Year 2011 Financial Report of the United States Government
“The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is required annually to submit financial statements for the U.S. government to the President and the Congress. GAO is required to audit these statements. The Fiscal Year 2011 Financial Report of the United States Government (Financial Report)… Continue Reading
Report of Data Protection Audit of Facebook Ireland Published
News release: “The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Ireland 21 December 2011 published the outcome of its audit of Facebook Ireland(FB-I) which was conducted over the last three months including on-site in Facebook Irelands Headquarters in Dublin. The report is available in 2 parts: Report of the Audit, including recommendations and the Facebook Technical… Continue Reading
The Revolutions Were Tweeted: Information Flows During the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions
The Revolutions Were Tweeted: Information Flows During the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions, International Journal of Communication 5 (2011), Feature 13751405 19328036/2011FEA1375 [via gigaom] “This article details the networked production and dissemination of news on Twitter during snapshots of the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions as seen through information flowssets of near-duplicate tweetsacross activists, bloggers,… Continue Reading
EPA Issues First National Standards for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants
News release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. The standards will slash emissions of these dangerous pollutants by relying on widely… Continue Reading
FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue
“U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Michael Huerta today announced a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilot scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity for rest before they enter the cockpit…The Department of Transportation identified the issue of pilot fatigue as a top priority during… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Government Auditing Standards, Office Supplies Pricing, Pediatric Medical Devices
Government Auditing Standards – 2011 Revision (Supercedes GAO-07-731G) GAO-12-331G, Dec 1, 2011, Strategic Sourcing Office Supplies Pricing Study Had Limitations, but New Initiative Shows Potential for Savings, GAO-12-178, Dec 20, 2011 DOD Financial Management – Ongoing Challenges with Reconciling Navy and Marine Corps Fund Balance with Treasury, GAO-12-132, Dec 20, 2011 Pediatric Medical Devices –… Continue Reading
State of the Federal Web Report
State of the Federal Web Report, December 16, 2011. Produced by the .gov Reform Task Force “This report presents a summary of data and findings about the state of Federal websites, collected as part of the .gov Reform Initiative. The report is intended to highlightfor the first timethe size and scope of websites in the… Continue Reading
FTC Guidance – Cookies: Leaving a Trail on the Web
“Have you ever wondered why some online ads you see are targeted to your tastes and interests, or how websites remember your preferences from visit to visit? The answer may be in the cookies.” A cookie is information saved by your web browser, the software program you use to visit the web. Cookies can be… Continue Reading
U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 2003-2010
CRS – U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 2003-2010. Richard F. Grimmett, Specialist in International Security, December 16, 2011 “This report provides background data on U.S. arms sales agreements with and deliveries to its major purchasers during calendar years 2003-2010, made through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. In a… Continue Reading
SEC Charges Former Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Executives with Securities Fraud
News release: “The Securities and Exchange Commission [December 16, 2011] charged six former top executives of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) with securities fraud, alleging they knew and approved of misleading statements claiming the companies had minimal holdings of higher-risk mortgage loans, including subprime… Continue Reading
