February 2012 Vital Signs Issue: Where’s the Sodium?: “About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet. Too much sodium increases a person’s risk for high blood pressure. High blood pressure often leads to heart disease and stroke. More than 800,000 people die each year from heart disease, stroke and… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: February 2012
DHS IG – Allegations of Misconduct and Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation in the Federal Air Marshal Service
Via POGO: Department of Homeland Security OIG – Allegations of Misconduct and Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation in the Federal Air Marshal Service, OIG-12-28, January 2012 “Although individual employees may have experienced discrimination or retaliation, our review does not support a finding of widespread discrimination and retaliation within the Federal Air Marshal Service. However, employees perceptions… Continue Reading
TRAC: Share of Immigration Cases Ending in Deportation Orders Hits Record Low
“TRAC’s web-based tools monitoring ICE’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion in the Immigration Courts have been updated with court data tracking outcomes through December 2011. Very current data show that deportation orders fell, while individuals allowed to stay in the U.S. rose during October – December 2011. The share of ICE-initiated Immigration Court deportation proceedings resulting… Continue Reading
BLS – Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
News release: “There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of December, up from 3.1 million in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and separations rate (3.0 percent) were unchanged over the month. The job openings rate has trended upward since the end of… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Air Force and Interior Spending, Bureau of Prisons, Diesel Pollution, Federal Contracting, GAO Budget Request
Budget and Spending – Air Force and Interior Can Benefit from Additional Guidance When Deciding Whether to Lease or Purchase Equipment, GAO-12-281R, Feb 7, 2012 Bureau of Prisons – Eligibility and Capacity Impact Use of Flexibilities to Reduce Inmates’ Time in Prison, GAO-12-320, Feb 7, 2012 Diesel Pollution – Fragmented Federal Programs That Reduce Mobile… Continue Reading
NOAA – January 2012 the fourth warmest for the contiguous U.S.
News release: “During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January… Continue Reading
CBO – Monthly Budget Review, January 2012
Monthly Budget Review – Based on the Monthly Treasury Statement for December and the Daily Treasury Statements for January 2012 “The federal government accumulated a budget deficit of $349 billion in the first four months of fiscal year 2012, CBO estimates, $70 billion less than the shortfall recorded for the same period last year. Without… Continue Reading
The U.S. Postal Services Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress
The U.S. Postal Services Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress. Kevin R. Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, January 27, 2012 “This report provides an overview of the U.S. Postal Services (USPSs) financial condition, legislation enacted to alleviate the USPSs financial challenges, and possible issues for the 112th Congress. It also includes a side-by-side… Continue Reading
Fostering innovation-led clusters A review of leading global practices
Fostering innovation-led clusters – A review of leading global practices. A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, December 2011. “There are few economic development policies as popular as clusters. It is hard today to find a country, region, or even city that is not trying to develop a network of complementary and competitive firms. The… Continue Reading
Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action
Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action, January 2012 In the United States, chronic diseases currently account for 70 percent of all deaths, and close to 48 million Americans report a disability related to a chronic condition. Today, about one in four Americans have multiple diseases and the prevalence and burden… Continue Reading
Solving the Financial and Sovereign Debt Crisis in Europe
Solving the Financial and Sovereign Debt Crisis in Europe by Adrian Blundell-Wignall, OECD Journal, Financial Market Trends, volume 2011, Issue 2. “This paper examines the policies that have been proposed to solve the financial and sovereign debt crisis in Europe, against the backdrop of what the real underlying problems are: extreme differences in competitiveness; the… Continue Reading
CRS – Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents
Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents, Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, February 1, 2012. “P.L. 112-81, affirm that the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), P.L. 107-40, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, authorizes the detention of persons captured in connection with hostilities. The Act provides for the first time… Continue Reading
