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Monthly Archives: January 2014

CDC – 2012 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance

2012 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance “STDs are hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic consequence in the United States. They are hidden because many Americans are reluctant to address sexual health issues in an open way and because of the biologic and social characteristics of these diseases. All Americans have an interest in STD prevention… Continue Reading

Rising Costs and Delays in Construction of New DHS Headquarters

Reality Check Needed: Rising Costs and Delays in Construction of New DHS Headquarters at St. Elizabeths.  U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, January 2014, Prepared by Majority Staff of the Committee on Homeland Security. “Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, released a…report examines the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – TSA Screening, VA Vocational Rehabilitation

SCREENING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM – TSA Issued Application Guidance and Developed a Mechanism to Monitor Private versus Federal Screener Performance, GAO-14-269T, Jan 14, 2014 VA VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT – Further Performance and Workload Management Improvements Are Needed, GAO-14-61, Jan 14, 2014 Continue Reading

CDT – Court Strikes Blow to FCC’s Open Internet Rules

“Today, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Federal Communication Commission’s Open Internet rules in its Verizon v. FCC ruling. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), which filed an amicus brief in the case on behalf of First Amendment scholars, issued the following statement in response to the ruling: “The court’s ruling is disappointing because it strikes… Continue Reading

Agencies Approve Interim Final Rule Authorizing Retention of Interests in and Sponsorship of CDOs

“Five federal agencies on Tuesday approved an interim final rule to permit banking entities to retain interests in certain collateralized debt obligations backed primarily by trust preferred securities (TruPS CDOs) from the investment prohibitions of section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, known as the Volcker rule. Under the interim… Continue Reading

McKinsey – Education to employment: Getting Europe’s youth into work

Youth unemployment across the European Union remains unacceptably high, to the detriment of current and future generations. Addressing it requires understanding its causes and then relentlessly pursuing solutions. January 2014. “The problem of youth unemployment in the European Union is not new. Youth unemployment has been double or even triple the rate of general unemployment in Europe… Continue Reading

Technology Transfers for Climate Change

Technology Transfers for Climate Change. May Elsayyad – Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich – Munich Graduate School of Economics (MGSE); Florian Morath – Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, December 30, 2013, CESifo Working Paper Series No. 4521. “This paper considers investments in cost-reducing technology in the context of contributions to climate… Continue Reading

DefenseTech – British Fighter Flies with 3D Printed Parts

Mike Hoffman: “The United Kingdom’s Tornado became the first fighter jet to fly with 3D printed parts in December. Done by BAE Systems, the Tornado was fitted with metal components constructed by a 3D printer. The plane then completed test flights at the end of December at BAE System’s airfield in Warton, Lancashire. The 3D printer constructed a protective… Continue Reading

Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

Second Largest Annual Recovery in History Whistleblower Lawsuits Soar to 752 “The Justice Department secured $3. 8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery announced today.  This dollar amount, which is… Continue Reading

New York Fed Survey Provides Insight into Americans’ Views on Economic Issues

“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today launched its monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE), which contains insight into Americans’ views on inflation, prices, the labor market and household finances.  The just released survey for December 2013 shows that consumer expectations for overall inflation and home prices remained stable in recent months.  Median earnings and household… Continue Reading

Prisoners In 2012: Trends In Admissions And Releases, 1991-2012

“The total U.S. correctional population (on probation, parole, in prison or jail) decreased for the fourth consecutive year during 2012 (down 51,000 offenders or 0.7 percent), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced [December 19, 2013]. This was the smallest decrease in the population since 2009. Nearly the entire drop in the total correctional population during 2012… Continue Reading

HuffPo: James Risen Takes His Press Freedom Fight To The Supreme Court

Jack Mirkinson: “New York Times reporter James Risen said Monday that he has formally taken his legal battle to prevent him from having to reveal confidential sources all the way to the Supreme Court.  Risen was ordered last year to testify in the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA agent charged with leaking classified information… Continue Reading