EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track? James E. McCarthy, Specialist in Environmental Policy; Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy. February 9, 2016. “Since Barack Obama was sworn in as President in 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed and promulgated numerous regulations to implement the pollution control statutes enacted… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: February 2016
CRS – Social Security Primer
Social Security Primer, Dawn Nuschler, Specialist in Income Security. February 9, 2016. “The Social Security program was established in the 1930s and has been modified by Congress many times over the years. Today, Social Security provides monthly cash benefits to retired or disabled workers and their family members, and to the family members of deceased… Continue Reading
CRS – The Islamic State and U.S. Policy
The Islamic State and U.S. Policy. Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs; Carla E. Humud, Analyst in Middle Eastern and African Affairs. February 9, 2016. “The Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL/ISIS, or the Arabic acronym Da’esh) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group… Continue Reading
Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations
CRS report – Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations, Christopher M. Blanchard Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, February 5, 2016. “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud family since its founding in 1932, wields significant global influence through its administration of the birthplace of the Islamic faith and by virtue of its… Continue Reading
Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations
CRS Report – Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations. Paul K. Kerr, Analyst in Nonproliferation. February 8, 2016. “Several U.N. Security Council resolutions required Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) investigation of its nuclear activities, suspend its uranium enrichment program, suspend its construction of a heavy-water reactor and… Continue Reading
Jobs With the Best (and Worst) Job Security – 24/7 Wall Street
“The U.S. unemployment rate reached 10% in October 2009, the highest since 1983, and the peak since the Great Recession ended in June 2009. Since then, unemployment has fallen steadily to its current level of 4.9%. Not all the nation’s industries have recovered at the same pace. Increased job opportunities and wage hikes have been… Continue Reading
A Worldwide Survey of Encryption Products
“In this paper, [available for download as part of the Berkman Publication Series on SSRN at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2731160] which is modeled on a similar effort in 1999 by researchers from George Washington University, Berkman Fellow Bruce Schneier and collaborator Kathleen Seidel together with Harvard College student Saranya Vijayakuma identify and survey 865 encryption products from 55… Continue Reading
Report Finds Possible Health Effects Associated with Formaldehyde in Select Laminate Flooring
“The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) analysis of data from an investigation led by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that formaldehyde levels observed in select laminate wood flooring products could cause short-term irritation for… Continue Reading
CDC Highlights Programs that Reduce U.S. Health Disparities
“A supplement to the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, highlights programs that reduce disparities by race/ethnicity, geography, disability, and/or sexual orientation across a range of different health conditions. “Reducing and eliminating health disparities is fundamental to building a healthier nation,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D.,… Continue Reading
Approaches to Making Federal Highway Spending More Productive
Federal spending on highways does not correspond very well with how the roads are used. “CBO examines three approaches lawmakers could consider to make highway spending more productive: “Federal spending on highways (or, synonymously, roads) totaled $46 billion in 2014, roughly a quarter of total public spending on highways. About 95 percent of that amount… Continue Reading
Demographic and Economic Profiles of South Carolina’s Electorate
“In advance of the South Carolina primaries on Feb. 20 and Feb. 27, the U.S. Census Bureau presents a variety of statistics that give an overall profile of the state’s voting-age population and industries. Statistics include: Voting-age population and estimate of eligible voters (i.e., citizens age 18 and older). Breakdown of voting-age population by race… Continue Reading
Women Also Know Stuff
Women Also Know Stuff: “So often while planning a conference, brainstorming a list of speakers, or searching for experts to cite or interview, it can be difficult to think of any scholars who aren’t male. We’ve all been there… you just know that a woman has got to be studying that topic… but who? This site is… Continue Reading
