News release: “Making sure that borrowers have clear information to make the best possible choice is critical. But borrowers have told us they didnt know that private student loans dont always have the same repayment options as federal student loans. These options allow borrowers to cap their payments as a portion of their income a valuable option when times are rough. In addition, private student loan borrowers generally have fewer options in the bankruptcy process, compared to credit cards and other consumer loans. But like borrowers struggling to stay afloat on their mortgages, private student loan borrowers have told us that they too need assistance. This past winter, we put out a request for information to find out more about their experiences. Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published nearly 2,000 comments we received in response to that request. The comments include stories from individual borrowers, parents, school officials, and others.”
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Daily Archives: June 13, 2012
DHS IG – Customs and Border Protection Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Nations Border Security
DHS OIG – CBPs Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Nations Border Security, OIG-12-85, May 2012 “We conducted a review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions to establish its unmanned aircraft systems program. The purpose of the program is to provide reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and acquisition capabilities across all CBP areas of… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Medicare, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Government Operations
Medicare – Trends in Beneficiaries Served and Hospital Resources Used in Implantable Medical Device Procedures, GAO-12-583R, May 14, 2012 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – IRS Managing Implementation Risks, but Its Approach Could Be Refined, GAO-12-690, June 13, 2012 Government Operations – Government Is Analyzing Alternatives for Contractor Identification Numbers, GAO-12-715R, June 12, 2012 Continue Reading
Characterising the financial cycle: don't lose sight of the medium term
Characterising the financial cycle: don’t lose sight of the medium term! by Mathias Drehmann, Claudio Borio and Kostas Tsatsaronis, Working Papers No 380, Bank for International Settlements, June 2012 “We characterise empirically the financial cycle using two approaches: analysis of turning points and frequency-based filters. We identify the financial cycle with the medium-term component in… Continue Reading
Report – Cities to Face Sharply Rising Costs for Garbage Treatment
News release: “A new, far-reaching report on the state of municipal solid waste around the world predicts a sharp rise in the amount of garbage generated by urban residents between now and 2025. The report estimates the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) will rise from the current 1.3 billion tonnes/year to 2.2 billion tonnes/year,… Continue Reading
Digital Library of Tobacco Documents
University of California, San Francisco – “The Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (LTDL) contains more than 13 million documents (70+ million pages) created by major tobacco companies related to their advertising, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and scientific research activities.” Continue Reading
Patent Granted to License Textbook Content Shared on Web-based Systems
Ars Technica: “In a newly approved patent, an economics professor hopes to bring to the academic publishing world what seems to be forthcoming in the video game industrynew restrictions that would seemingly eliminate a secondary market for digital goods and prevent legal borrowing. Last week, the 2006 patent for a Web-based system and method to… Continue Reading
UK Information Commissioners Office Writes to Google About Street View
June 13, 2012: The ICO writes to Google about Street View – “Following the publication of the Federal Communications Commission report, the ICO has written to Google and will consider what further action, if any, needs to be taken.” UK reopens Google Street View investigation after FCC probe – The ICO wants to know precisely… Continue Reading
District Court, Northern District CA – Oracle America, Inc. v. Google Inc.
Oracle America, Inc. v. Google Inc., Case3:10-cv-03561-WHA Document1202 Filed 05/31/12: “In 2007, Google Inc., announced its Android software platform for mobile devices. In 2010, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun Microsystems, Inc., and thus acquired Suns interest in the popular programming language known as Java, a language used in Android. Sun was renamed Oracle America, Inc. Shortly… Continue Reading
WB Urges Developing Countries to Strengthen Domestic Fundamentals, to Weather Global Economic Turmoil
News release: “Developing countries should prepare for a long period of volatility in the global economy by re-emphasizing medium-term development strategies, while preparing for tougher times, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP), June 2012. A resurgence of tensions in high-income Europe has eroded the gains made during the first four… Continue Reading
