COMPUTER MATCHING ACT: OMB and Selected Agencies Need to Ensure Consistent Implementation, GAO-14-44: Published: Jan 13, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 12, 2014. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Ammunition Purchases Have Declined since 2009, GAO-14-119: Published: Jan 13, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 12, 2014. EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS: Limiting Federal Fiscal Exposure and Increasing the Nation’s Resilience, GAO-14-364T: Published: Feb 12, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 12,… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: February 2014
Bank of England – Overview of the Inflation Report February 2014
‘The UK recovery has gained momentum and inflation has returned to the 2% target. Reduced uncertainty, easier credit conditions and the stimulative stance of monetary policy should support continued solid economic growth, with the expansion in demand becoming more entrenched and more broadly based. Robust growth has not so far been accompanied by a material pickup… Continue Reading
Commentary – Floods in UK Caused by Extreme Rains in Indonesia?
Bloomberg: “The U.S. is freezing and the U.K. is flooded. Clearly, Indonesia is at fault. That, in any case, is my layman’s interpretation of a report this week from the U.K.’s meteorological agency, the Met Office. It makes fascinating, if nerdy, reading that can be boiled down to a few basic conclusions: * The extended, extreme weather… Continue Reading
Senior Supervisors Group Issues Progress Report on Counterparty Risk Reporting
“Senior financial supervisors from 10 countries—collectively, the Senior Supervisors Group (SSG)—today issued a report assessing progress on measuring and reporting of counterparty risk by large, complex financial firms. The report—Progress Report on Counterparty Data—concludes that while firms have made improvements in assessing counterparty risk, on the whole current practices fail to meet supervisory expectations or industry… Continue Reading
NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework
“Recognizing that the national and economic security of the United States depends on the reliable functioning of critical infrastructure, the President issued Executive Order 13636, Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, in February 2013. It directed NIST to work with stakeholders to develop a voluntary framework – based on existing standards, guidelines, and practices – for reducing cyber… Continue Reading
The battle for Trayvon Martin: Mapping a media controversy online and off-line
“One of the biggest news stories of 2012, the killing of Trayvon Martin, nearly disappeared from public view, initially receiving only cursory local news coverage. But the story gained attention and controversy over Martin’s death dominated headlines, airwaves, and Twitter for months, thanks to a savvy publicist working on behalf of the victim’s parents and… Continue Reading
Lib2Gov – Connecting Your Library to Online Government Service
“Lib2Gov is an engagement platform hosted by the Information Policy & Access Center at the University of Maryland and the American Library Association, with the goal of helping libraries to better meet the e-government needs of their users. Learn about providing e-government services in your library, browse through information on popular e-government topics, and share what your library… Continue Reading
DC Navy Yard Shooting: Fixing the Security Clearance Process
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Staff Report: Slipping Through the Cracks: How the D.C. Navy Yard Shooting Exposes Flaws in the Federal Security Clearance Process, February 11, 2014. “The Committee on Oversight & Government Reform plans to consider legislation to improve problems identified in the security clearance process during this investigation. Section IV of the report… Continue Reading
Pew – The Rising Cost of Not Going to College
“For those who question the value of college in this era of soaring student debt and high unemployment, the attitudes and experiences of today’s young adults—members of the so-called Millennial generation—provide a compelling answer. On virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment—from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed full time—young… Continue Reading
Report – Democracy in Crisis: Corruption, Media, and Power in Turkey
A Freedom House Special Report, February 2014: “Turkey’s government is improperly using its leverage over media to limit public debate about government actions and punish journalists and media owners who dispute government claims, deepening the country’s political and social polarization, Freedom House concludes in a report issued on February 3. “The government must recognize that its efforts to control a… Continue Reading
OCC Comptroller’s Handbook – Mortgage Banking February 2014
“The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) Comptroller’s Handbook booklet, Mortgage Banking, provides guidance for bank examiners and bankers on various mortgage banking activities, such as the purchase or sale of mortgages in the secondary mortgage market. Throughout this booklet, national banks and federal savings associations (FSA) are referred to collectively as banks, except when it is… Continue Reading
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System – Monetary Policy Report
Monetary Policy Report – February 11, 2014: “The labor market improved further during the second half of 2013 and into early 2014 as the economic recovery strengthened: Employment has increased at an average monthly pace of about 175,000 since June, and the unemployment rate fell from 7.5 percent in June to 6.6 percent in January. With these gains, payrolls have risen a cumulative 3¼ million… Continue Reading
