The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief. David H. Bradley, Specialist in Labor Economics. January 13, 2015. “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938, is the federal legislation that establishes the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to all covered workers. The minimum wage provisions of the FLSA have been amended numerous times… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2015
The National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress
“The National Taxpayer Advocate’s (NTA) Annual Report to Congress creates a dialogue within the IRS and the highest levels of government to address taxpayers’ problems, protect taxpayers’ rights, and ease taxpayers’ burden. TAS is an independent organization within the IRS. The NTA delivers this report directly to the tax-writing committees in Congress (the House Committee… Continue Reading
France Germany demand removal of extremist web content
WSJ.com: “France and Germany demanded that U.S. tech companies help them police terrorism on the Internet, escalating European efforts to wrangle more law-enforcement help from Silicon Valley. Top law-enforcement officials from the two countries said on Tuesday they expect U.S. Internet and social-networking companies like Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google Inc. to pre-emptively remove… Continue Reading
HHS OIG – Federal Marketplace: Inadequacies in Contract Planning and Procurement
Report (OEI-03-14-00230) 01-20-2015 Federal Marketplace: Inadequacies in Contract Planning and Procurement WHY WE DID THIS STUDY: “The Federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov was designed to enable millions of Americans to select health insurance in a “one-stop shop” environment. A project of this magnitude and complexity required the development, integration, and operation of multiple information technology (IT)… Continue Reading
NAP’s Guide to Science Issues and the State of the Union
“The 2015 State of the Union address focused on topics such as 21st century skills, climate change, and cybersecurity. The National Academies Press provides resources directly related to these national issues. A selection has been highlighted below. We’ve posted the full transcript of the President’s speech, annotated with lists of our related materials. Read our complete… Continue Reading
Worker’s expectations about losing and replacing their jobs: 35 years of change
BLS, January 2015: “Workers were less secure about retaining their jobs in 2010 and 2012 than in 1977 and 1978; they also were less secure about the ease with which they would find a comparable job if they were separated. As might be expected, the two measures of job security track unemployment, although other factors… Continue Reading
FY2014 DOT&E Annual Report has been released to Congress
DOT&E FY2014 Annual Report. Michael Gilmore, Director – Operational Test & Evaluation Office of the Secretary of Defense: “Since my appointment as Director, I have required thorough operational tests that provide adequate information to characterize system performance across a variety of operational conditions. This information is essential to my evaluation of system operational effectiveness, suitability,… Continue Reading
Simple soil mixture reverses toxic stormwater effects
EurekAlert: “A simple column of common soil can reverse the toxic effects of urban runoff that otherwise quickly kills young coho salmon and their insect prey, according to new research by Washington State University, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The affordable and remarkably effective treatment offers new promise for controlling toxic… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Aviation Safety, Defense Headquarters, Polar Weather Satellites, VA Construction
Aviation Safety: Issues Related to Domestic Certification and Foreign Approval of U.S. Aviation Products, GAO-15-327T: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Reassess Personnel Requirements for the Office of Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and Military Service Secretariats, GAO-15-10: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015.… Continue Reading
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Spending and Policy Options
CBO Report – “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal program that provides cash assistance, work support, and other services to some low-income families. The cash assistance is generally limited to families with income well below the poverty threshold and few assets; it goes to roughly 2 million families per month, most of… Continue Reading
Intellectual Property and Trust in the Age of Digital Media
Tonia Ries – Media Sources: Search Engines Now Most Trusted “The 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a new formula for building trust, one in which engagement carries a multiplier effect. Engagement and ongoing communication and dialogue with multiple stakeholders are both more critical than ever, but also more difficult to execute well. Today’s reality is… Continue Reading
Old ice in Arctic vanishingly rare
NOAA: “Since the 1980s, the amount of perennial ice in the Arctic has declined. This animation tracks the relative amount of ice of different ages from 1987 through early November 2014. The oldest ice is white; the youngest (seasonal) ice is dark blue. Key patterns are the export of ice from the Arctic through Fram… Continue Reading
