CREDIT CARDS: Marketing to College Students Appears to Have Declined, GAO-14-225: Published: Feb 25, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 25, 2014. “Trends associated with college affinity card agreements include fewer agreements and cardholders and declining payments, according to data GAO analyzed from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the Bureau of Consumer… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: February 2014
Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations
CRS – Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations, Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. February 12, 2014. “In spite of apparent differences of opinion over regional developments, U.S.-Saudi security cooperation continues to anchor official bilateral relations as it has for decades, bolstered by major new arms sales, continued security training arrangements, enhanced counterterrorism cooperation, and shared concerns about Iran and… Continue Reading
A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics
A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics: Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Hannah Fischer, Information Research Specialist, February 19, 2014. “This report presents statistics regarding U.S. military casualties in the active Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, Afghanistan), as well as operations that have ended: Operation New Dawn (OND, Iraq) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF,… Continue Reading
Quality Data Added to Physician Compare Website
“Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that for the first time, quality measures have been added to Physician Compare, a website that helps consumers search for information about hundreds of thousands of physicians and other health care professionals. The site helps consumers make informed choices about their care. “Patients and their families… Continue Reading
Digital Devices Drive Electricity Demand for U.S.
“A new analysis from the Consumer Federation of America identifies household digital devices as a leading driver of electricity consumption in U.S. and California households. The analysis, Electricity Consumption and Energy Savings Potential of Digital Devices: The Role of California Appliance Standards Leadership finds that demand for electricity from computers, monitors, notebooks, game consoles, routers and similar devices is… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve Board to begin publishing semi-annual report with aggregate data
“The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced that it will soon begin publishing a semi-annual report with aggregate data and other information regarding banking applications. The report will be released in the second half of 2014 and include statistics on the length of time taken to process applications and notices, the number of approvals, denials, and… Continue Reading
NOAA announces RFI to unleash power of ‘big data’
Agency calls upon American companies to help solve ‘big data’ problem, February 24, 2014: “Today, NOAA, part of the Department of Commerce, announced a new effort to unleash the power of its data to foster innovation, create new industries and job opportunities, and spur economic growth. NOAA, through a Request for Information, is looking to the… Continue Reading
Procurement Innovation Report
“As the costs of procurement and subsequent contract negotiations within the public sector continue to rise, it becomes critically important to examine ways to introduce reform and innovation rather than to simply accept the status quo. Since the increased costs have not lead to a commensurate increase in performance, delivery, or completion of projects, there… Continue Reading
College Affordability and Transparency Center – College Scorecard
“College Scorecards in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center make it easier for you to search for a college that is a good fit for you. You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which… Continue Reading
AG Holder Urges Congress to Create National Standard for Reporting Cyberattacks
“In a video message released today, Attorney General Eric Holder called on Congress to create a strong, national standard for quickly alerting consumers whose information may be compromised by cyberattacks. This legislation would strengthen the Justice Department’s ability to combat crime, ensure individual privacy, and prevent identity theft, while also helping to bring cybercriminals to… Continue Reading
Energy trade is a key part of overall U.S. trade flows
“Energy trade has long been a key component of overall U.S. trade flows. Recent developments in U.S. energy production, notably the rapid growth of tight oil and shale gas output, are leading to significant changes in the nation’s energy trade flows. Another important factor is consumption trends, which reflect both increased efficiency of vehicles and… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Federal Real Property, Strategic Sourcing
FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY: Improved Transparency Could Help Efforts to Manage Agencies’ Maintenance and Repair Backlogs, GAO-14-188: Published: Jan 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2014. STRATEGIC SOURCING: Selected Agencies Should Develop Performance Measures on Inclusion of Small Businesses and OMB Should Improve Monitoring, GAO-14-126: Published: Jan 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2014. Continue Reading
