“Trade in services drives the exchange of ideas, know-how and technology. It helps firms cut costs, increase productivity, participate in global value chains and boost competitiveness. Consumers benefit from lower prices and greater choice. However, international trade in services is often impeded by trade and investment barriers and domestic regulations. The Service Trade Restrictions Index (STRI)… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2014
EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce
“EWG publishes its annual rating of conventional foods with the most and least pesticide residues to fill the void left by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has largely failed to tell Americans they have a right to know about the risks of pesticide exposure and ways they can reduce pesticides in their diets. The Food… Continue Reading
Defense One – Every Country Will Have Armed Drones Within Ten Years
Patrick Tucker: “Virtually every country on Earth will be able to build or acquire drones capable of firing missiles within the next ten years. Armed aerial drones will be used for targeted killings, terrorism and the government suppression of civil unrest. What’s worse, say experts, it’s too late for the United States to do anything about… Continue Reading
Monthly Budget Review for April 2014
“The federal government ran a budget deficit of $301 billion for the first seven months of fiscal year 2014, CBO estimates—$187 billion less than the shortfall recorded in the same span last year. Revenues were about 8 percent higher and outlays about 3 percent lower. Receipts for the first seven months of fiscal year 2014 totaled… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Alternative Jet Fuels, DHS, Federal Vehicle Fleets, Information Technology
ALTERNATIVE JET FUELS: Federal Activities Support Development and Usage, but Long-term Commercial Viability Hinges on Market Factors, GAO-14-407: Published: May 7, 2014. Publicly Released: May 7, 2014. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Progress Made; Significant Work Remains in Addressing High-Risk Areas, GAO-14-532T: Published: May 7, 2014. Publicly Released: May 7, 2014. FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS: GSA Has Opportunities to Further Encourage Cost Savings for… Continue Reading
Ending the Drug Wars
Report of the LSE Expert Group on the Economics of Drug Policy, May 2014 “A major rethink of international drug policies is under way. The failure of the UN to achieve its goal of ‘a drug free world’ and the continuation of enormous collateral damage from excessively militarised and enforcement-led drug policies, has led to growing calls… Continue Reading
Search Engine DuckDuckGo Reimagined and Redesigned
DuckDuckGo Community Forum: “Over the past year, as our userbase and community have grown substantially, we’ve heard great feedback from new and long-term users. Now, we’d like to show you how we’ve incorporated your feedback with a reimagined and redesigned DuckDuckGo: https://next.duckduckgo.com/ This next version of DuckDuckGo focuses on smarter answers and a more refined look. We’ve… Continue Reading
Ten Economic Facts about Crime and Incarceration in the United States
Ten Economic Facts about Crime and Incarceration in the United States By: Melissa S. Kearney and Benjamin H. Harris “This Hamilton Project policy memo provides ten economic facts highlighting recent trends in crime and incarceration in the United States. Specifically, it explores the characteristics of criminal offenders and victims; the historically unprecedented level of incarceration in the United States;… Continue Reading
Wired: Beyond Honeybees: Now Wild Bees and Butterflies May Be in Trouble
Brandon Keim, [snipped]: “According to a recent survey organized by the Xerces Society, an invertebrate conservation group, nearly one-third of North American bumblebee species are declining. Other studies have reported similar trends, documenting dramatic declines in once-common species such as the American bumblebee. If that’s happening to bumblebees, says Xerces Society executive director Scott Black, it’s… Continue Reading
New Scientist – US Supreme Court air pollution ruling will save lives
Lisa Grossman: “Citizens of the US, breathe easier. The Supreme Court has ruled that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate air pollution that drifts across state lines. The ruling means about 1000 power plants will be forced to reduce their emissions. The states hit hardest by the rules include Texas and Ohio, where coal-fired power plants are… Continue Reading
New Report Details Basics of Cybersecurity for Decision Makers
“At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy offers a wealth of information on practical measures, technical and nontechnical challenges, and potential policy responses. According to this report, cybersecurity is a never-ending battle; threats will evolve as adversaries adopt new tools and techniques to compromise security. Cybersecurity is therefore an ongoing process that needs to evolve… Continue Reading
Substantial Improvements Made in EPA’s IRIS Program, Report Says
“A new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council says that changes EPA has proposed and implemented into its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) process are “substantial improvements.” While acknowledging the progress made to date, the report offers further guidance and recommendations to improve the overall scientific and technical performance of the program, which is used… Continue Reading
