Washington Monthly, Robert Kelchen: “…we created our “Best Bang for the Buck” ranking—our exclusive list of the colleges in America that do the best job of helping nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. And it is a pretty exclusive list: out of the 1,572 colleges and universities in our broader rankings, only 349… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: August 2013
EPIC – DHS Facial Recognition System Lacks Privacy Safeguards
“In response to an EPIC FOIA request, the Department of Homeland Security has produced documents revealing that the agency has failed to establish privacy safeguards for “BOSS” (the Biometric Optical Surveillance System), an elaborate system for facial recognition and individual identification. The documents obtained by EPIC indicate that none of the agency’s contracts or statements… Continue Reading
Google Search expands features for online dictionary
Via Google+: “You may be familiar with using Google to find definitions, like [define fortuitous]. We’ve recently updated this feature on google.com on desktop and mobile to give you more information about these words beyond just their definition. Now you’ll also see sample sentences that highlight how the word is used, as well as synonyms.… Continue Reading
CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey
Findings from the 2013 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission. August 2013 “Over the past seven years, the year-to-year growth in international applications has ranged from a high of 12% in 2006 to a low of 2% in 2013, but these eight years of growth follow a… Continue Reading
Pew – King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal
King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many Americans See Racial Disparities, August 22, 2013 “Five decades after Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C., a new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that fewer than half (45%) of all Americans say the country has made substantial progress toward racial equality… Continue Reading
Wealth Shocks and Macroeconomic Dynamics
Wealth Shocks and Macroeconomic Dynamics, Daniel Cooper- Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; Karen Dynan – Brookings Institution. June 2013 “The effect of wealth on consumption is an issue of longstanding interest to economists. Analysts believe that fluctuations in household wealth have driven major swings in economic activity. This article considers so-called wealth effects—the impact of changes in wealth on household… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Army and Marine Corps Training, Army Networks, IP, Medicare Program Integrity
Army and Marine Corps Training- Better Performance and Cost Data Needed to More Fully Assess Simulation-Based Efforts, GAO-13-698, Aug 22, 2013 Army Networks – Opportunities Exist to Better Utilize Results from Network Integration Evaluations, GAO-13-711, Aug 22, 2013 Intellectual Property – Assessing Factors That Affect Patent Infringement Litigation Could Help Improve Patent Quality, GAO-13-465, Aug… Continue Reading
CRS – Egypt in Crisis: Issues for Congress
Egypt in Crisis: Issues for Congress – Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. August 19, 2013 “This report provides a brief overview of the key issues for Congress related to Egypt. U.S. policy makers are now grappling with complex questions about the future of U.S.-Egypt relations, particularly in light of the growing unrest… Continue Reading
CRS – Syria’s Chemical Weapons
Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, August 20, 2013: “The use or loss of control of chemical weapons stocks in Syria could have unpredictable consequences for the Syrian population and neighboring countries as well as U.S. allies and forces in the region. Congress may wish to assess the Administration’s plans to respond to possible scenarios… Continue Reading
CRS – GAO Bid Protests: Trends and Analysis
Follow up to previous posting, Amazon’s lawsuit released against GAO in cloud computing contract case, see this new CRS report, GAO Bid Protests: Trends and Analysis, August 9, 2013: “Bid protests on federal government contracts filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have recently received increased congressional scrutiny due to protests of high-profile awards and… Continue Reading
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems in the Military
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems in the Military: Oversight Issues for Congress. Katherine Blakeley, Analyst in Foreign Affairs; Don J. Jansen, Analyst in Defense Health Care Policy, August 8, 2013 “Military servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression, as well as military suicides, continue to be… Continue Reading
Study – Why you may be paying too much for your fish
Oceana – Seafood Sticker Shock Why you may be paying too much for your fish: August 2103:”The complex and almost invisible path traveled by seafood on the way to our plates creates a regular opportunity for consumers to be overcharged for their fish. For example, when red snapper is replaced with tilapia in a restaurant, diners may pay seven… Continue Reading
