News release: “Theres no doubt that the mortgage servicing market can be confusing for the average consumer to understand and navigate. And its even more overwhelming for homeowners in financial distress. Being aware of what you owe and to whom you should make your payments, understanding changes to your interest rate, and knowing how to… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Directory of Open Access Books – DOAB
“The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books. Academic publishers are invited to provide metadata of their Open Access books to DOAB. Metadata will be harvestable in order to maximize dissemination, visibility and impact. Aggregators can integrate the records in their commercial services and libraries can integrate the directory into… Continue Reading
H&R Block – The Procrastinator's Guide to Filing Taxes
“Our latest infographic has some excellent advice and last minute tax tips.” Via the IRS: Extension requests and tax payments are due by April 17, 2012. See also the IRS 1040 Central, for News Releases, Fact Sheets, Tax Tips and New Media. Continue Reading
Treasury Reports on Small Business Lending Successes
News release: “Treasury [released] its latest report to Congress that demonstrates an increasingly positive trend in lending by institutions participating in the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) when compared to financial institutions that do not. The report shows that institutions participating in the Small Business Lending Fund significantly increased small business lending in the last… Continue Reading
Commentary – Experts question validity of cybercrime statistics
New York Times: The Cybercrime Wave That Wasnt, by Dinei Florêncio, researcher and Cormac Herley, principal researcher at Microsoft Research “In less than 15 years, cybercrime has moved from obscurity to the spotlight of consumer, corporate and national security concerns. Popular accounts suggest that cybercrime is large, rapidly growing, profitable and highly evolved; annual loss… Continue Reading
The Imprisonment of Women and Girls for "Moral Crimes" in Afghanistan
“This 120-page report is based on 58 interviews conducted in three prisons and three juvenile detention facilities with women and girls accused of moral crimes. Almost all girls in juvenile detention in Afghanistan had been arrested for moral crimes, while about half of women in Afghan prisons were arrested on these charges. These crimes usually… Continue Reading
Development: Aid to developing countries falls because of global recession
News release: “Major donors aid to developing countries fell by nearly 3% in 2011, breaking a long trend of annual increases. Disregarding years of exceptional debt relief, this was the first drop since 1997. Continuing tight budgets in OECD countries will put pressure on aid levels in coming years. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría encouraged donors… Continue Reading
EFF: Miami-Dade PD Releases Information about Its Drone Program
News release: “EFF recently received records from the Miami-Dade Police Department in response to a Public Records request for information on its drone program. These records provide additional insight into domestic drone use in the United States, and they reinforce the importance of public access to information on who is authorized to fly drones inside… Continue Reading
Pew Report – Digital differences
Digital differences, by Kathryn Zickuhr, Aaron Smith. April 13, 2012: “When the Pew Internet Project first began writing about the role of the internet in American life in 2000, there were stark differences between those who were using the internet and those who were not. Today, differences in internet access still exist among different demographic… Continue Reading
New GAO Report on SEC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures
Management Report – Improvements Needed in SEC’s Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures – GAO-12-424R, Apr 13, 2012: “In our audit of SECs fiscal years 2011 and 2010 financial statements, we identified four significant deficiencies in internal control as of September 30, 2011. These significant internal control deficiencies represent continuing deficiencies concerning controls over (1) information… Continue Reading
Hospitals' Geographic Expansion in Quest of Well-Insured Patients: Will the Outcome be Better Care, More Cost, or Both?
Hospitals’ Geographic Expansion in Quest of Well-Insured Patients: Will the Outcome be Better Care, More Cost, or Both?, April 2012 Health Affairs, Vol. 31, No. 4 – Emily Carrier, Marisa K. Dowling, Robert A. Berenson “The emphasis that hospitals place on cutting-edge technology and niche specialty services to attract physicians and patients has set the… Continue Reading
Tracking Federal Funds from the Affordable Care Act
Kaiser Health Reform: ACA Federal Funds Tracker – “This online tool tracks funds received by the states, local governments, employers, community organizations, and other entities to implement provisions in the Affordable Care Act. Click on any state for a profile of its health reform-related grant information. Learn more about the Federal Funds Tracker tool by… Continue Reading
