“This second edition of Health at a Glance: Europe presents a set of key indicators of health status, determinants of health, health care resources and activities, quality of care, health expenditure and financing in 35 European countries, including the 27 European Union member states, 5 candidate countries and 3 EFTA countries. The selection of indicators… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Monthly Archives: November 2012
Agencies Need to Strengthen Oversight of Billions of Dollars in Operations and Maintenance Investments
“Why GAO Did This Study – Of the $79 billion federal agencies budgeted for IT in 2011, $54 billion (about 69 percent) was reported to have been spent on the operations and maintenance of existing legacy IT systemscommonly referred to as steady state investments. Given the size and magnitude of these investments, it is essential… Continue Reading
The Nuclear Matters Handbook is an expanded and revised version of the earlier Nuclear Matters: A Practical Guide
“Why Nuclear Matters – Nuclear weapons and countering nuclear threats will continue to be a central concern for the United States until we achieve President Obama’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons. The President has identified the dual missions of sustaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent and countering the threat from nuclear… Continue Reading
The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States
The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States, by Madeleine Sumption and Sarah Flamm, Migration Policy Institute, Carneige Corporation, September 2012 Citizenship is widely recognized as an important symbol of full membership and participation in society. By naturalizing, immigrants receive a range of rights and prerogatives available only to citizens. Naturalized citizens… Continue Reading
Ten Leadership Lessons from Simpson-Bowles
“It was January 2010 and the Senate was locked in a sharp debate about the countrys debt and deficit crisis. Unable to agree on a course of action, some Senators proposed the creation of a fiscal commission that would send Congress a proposal to address the problem with no possibility of amendments. The bill failed… Continue Reading
Annual report to Congress – financial condition of Federal Housing Administration Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund
News release: “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released its annual report to Congress on the financial condition of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund. In reporting on findings of the independent actuarial study, HUD indicates that while FHA continues to be impacted by losses from mortgages… Continue Reading
Google presses on with claim that book scanning is fair use
Jeff John Roberts: “Google asked an appeals court to throw out a ruling that let the Authors Guild sue on behalf of all writers whose books were scanned without permission. Google argues most authors support the scanning and that the case should be decided on a book-by-book basis.” Continue Reading
EFF – Google Transparency Report Shows Rising Trend of Government Surveillance
EFF: “Each year, Google receives thousands of demands from governments around the world seeking information about its users. People who use any of the search engine giants free online services such as Gmail, YouTube, Google+ or Blogger leave digital footprints behind, and information relating to their accounts is increasingly sought out by law… Continue Reading
CRS – The Distribution of Household Income and the Middle Class
The Distribution of Household Income and the Middle Class, Linda Levine, Specialist in Labor Economics, November 13, 2012 “Although not itself a subject of legislation, the shape of the income distribution enters Congresss decision-making process concerning such policy issues as taxes, means-tested benefits, and social insurance programs. Congress also considers legislation specifically in the name… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Recovering Servicemembers and Veterans, DOD's Security Assistance
Recovering Servicemembers and Veterans – Sustained Leadership Attention and Systematic Oversight Needed to Resolve Persistent Problems Affecting Care and Benefits, GAO-13-5, Nov 16, 2012 Security Assistance – DOD’s Ongoing Reforms Address Some Challenges, but Additional Information Is Needed to Further Enhance Program Management, GAO-13-84, Nov 16, 2012 Continue Reading
Pro Publica Pipeline Safety Tracker
“Although they carry the vast majority of our oil and natural gas, the nation’s 2.5 million miles of pipelines remain largely invisible to the public. And while they’re much safer than alternatives such as trucks, pipelines suffer hundreds of ruptures and spills every year. Critics blame minimal oversight and old pipes for accidents that could… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – State Department Diplomatic Security Challenges, Agencies and IT, Medicaid, Financial Audits
State Department – Diplomatic Security Challenges, GAO-13-191T, Nov 15, 2012 Information Technology – Agencies Need to Strengthen Oversight of Billions of Dollars in Operations and Maintenance Investments, GAO-13-87, Oct 16, 2012 Medicaid – States Made Multiple Program Changes, and Beneficiaries Generally Reported Access Comparable to Private Insurance, GAO-13-55, Nov 15, 2012 ADA Paratransit Services –… Continue Reading
