[December 23, 2014] “the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its annual staff report on the findings of examinations of credit rating agencies registered as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) and submitted a separate report on NRSROs to Congress. “These reports provide the most current and comprehensive picture of the credit rating industry,” said SEC Chair… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: December 2014
Technology’s Impact on Workers
“The internet and cell phones have infiltrated every cranny of American workplaces, and digital technology has transformed vast numbers of American jobs. Work done in the most sophisticated scientific enterprises, entirely new technology businesses, the extensive array of knowledge and media endeavors, the places where crops are grown, the factory floor, and even mom-and-pop stores… Continue Reading
Cybersecurity Issues and Challenges: In Brief
CRS – Cybersecurity Issues and Challenges: In Brief. Eric A. Fischer, Senior Specialist in Science and Technology. December 16, 2014. “The information and communications technology (ICT) industry has evolved greatly over the last half century. The technology is ubiquitous and increasingly integral to almost every facet of modern society. ICT devices and components are generally interdependent, and disruption of one may affect… Continue Reading
Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base
“The H.3 release [Release Date: December 29, 2014] provides data on aggregate reserves of depository institutions, including required reserves, total reserves, reserve balances maintained, interest paid on reserve balances maintained, nonborrowed reserves, and borrowings by depository institutions from the Federal Reserve’s discount window. The release also provides data on the monetary base, which includes currency… Continue Reading
City of Los Angeles v. Patel
Lamparello, Adam, City of Los Angeles v. Patel: The Upcoming Supreme Court Case No One is Talking About (December 27, 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2543157 “Focusing solely on whether a hotel owner has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a guest registry is akin to asking whether Verizon Wireless has a reasonable expectation of privacy… Continue Reading
A National View of Students with Some College Enrollment, but No Completion
Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Yuan, X., Harrell, A., Wild, J., Ziskin, M. (2014, July). Some College, No Degree: A National View of Students with Some College Enrollment, but No Completion (Signature Report No. 7). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Over the past 20 years, more than 31 million students have enrolled in college… Continue Reading
T-Mobile to Pay At Least $90 Million, Including Full Consumer Refunds To Settle FTC Mobile Cramming Case
News release: “T-Mobile has agreed to fully refund its customers for unwanted third-party charges it placed on their phone bills, a practice known as mobile cramming, paying at least $90 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed earlier this year. In addition to the full refunds T-Mobile is providing, which will resolve the FTC’s… Continue Reading
Census Bureau Projects U.S. and World Populations on New Year’s Day
“As our nation prepares to ring in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau today projected the United States population will be 320,090,857 on Jan. 1, 2015. This represents an increase of 2,334,187, or 0.73 percent, from New Year’s Day 2014, and 11,345,319, or 3.67 percent, since Census Day (April 1) 2010. In January 2015, the… Continue Reading
721 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety
Jordan Rau – Kaiser Health News: “Medicare is penalizing 721 hospitals with high rates of potentially avoidable mistakes that can harm patients, known as “hospital-acquired conditions.” Penalized hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent over the fiscal year that runs from October 2014 through September 2015. To determine penalties, Medicare evaluated three types… Continue Reading
Prying Eyes: Inside the NSA’s War on Internet Security
By SPIEGEL Staff: “…Software giant Microsoft, which acquired Skype in 2011, said in a statement: “We will not provide governments with direct or unfettered access to customer data or encryption keys.” The NSA had been monitoring Skype even before that, but since February 2011, the service has been under order from the secret US Foreign… Continue Reading
Basel III Framework: The Net Stable Funding Ratio
Via Harvard Law School – Editor’s Note: “Barnabas Reynolds is head of the global Financial Institutions Advisory & Financial Regulatory Group at Shearman & Sterling LLP. This post is based on a Shearman & Sterling client publication by Mr. Reynolds and Azad Ali. The complete publication, including annex, is available here.” “A key element of… Continue Reading
Department of Defense Suicide Event Report Data Quality Assessment
“The Department of Defense Suicide Event Report (DoDSER) is the system of record for health surveillance related to suicide ideations, attempts, and deaths. This assessment focused on decreasing the number of “don’t know” responses on suicide death submissions by identifying changes to policy, training, or oversight. We also examined the sharing of DoD medical information with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Inspector General Report,… Continue Reading
