DOJ news release: “James Robert Liang, a Volkswagen engineer, pleaded guilty today for his role in a nearly 10-year conspiracy to defraud U.S. regulators and U.S. Volkswagen customers by implementing software specifically designed to cheat U.S. emissions tests in hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen “clean diesel” vehicles, the Justice Department announced today. Liang’s plea agreement… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: September 2016
Paper – Do Firms Engage in Risk-Shifting? Empirical Evidence
Gilje, Erik, Do Firms Engage in Risk-Shifting? Empirical Evidence (September 9, 2016). Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2837013 “I empirically test whether firms engage in risk-shifting. Contrary to what risk-shifting theory predicts, I find that firms reduce investment risk when they approach financial distress. To identify the effect of distress on risk-taking, I use a… Continue Reading
Brief of Amici Curiae 55 Antitrust and Competition Policy Scholars, Teladoc Inc. v. Texas Medical Board (5th Cir.)
Volokh, Alexander, Brief of Amici Curiae 55 Antitrust and Competition Policy Scholars, Teladoc Inc. v. Texas Medical Board (5th Cir.) (September 9, 2016). Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2837026 “This appeal involves an effort by a state administrative agency, the Texas Medical Board, to evade the substance of federal antitrust law. The basic purpose of… Continue Reading
BLS Data – Education, training, and library occupations in May 2015
September 02, 2016 – “In May 2015, there were about 1.4 million elementary school teachers, excluding special education—the largest occupation among teachers. These teachers had an average annual wage of $57,730. Excluding special and career/technical education, there were 963,000 secondary school teachers and 633,000 middle school teachers. Secondary school teachers earned an average annual wage… Continue Reading
9/11 – passage of 15 years brings new insights
There are many articles that continue to provide us with perspective and insight as we respectfully and with continued sadness, mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11. For many years there was an effort to obtain the release of the redacted “28 pages from the House Intelligence Committee’s 2002 report to Congress. As I posted July… Continue Reading
2014 Business Dynamics Statistics
“The Business Dynamics Statistics provide annual statistics on establishments, firm startups, and job creation and loss from 1976 to 2014 by firm size, firm age, industrial sector, state and metropolitan statistical area. These statistics provide snapshots of current and historical U.S. entrepreneurial activity, plus geographic and industry detail about where jobs are being created and… Continue Reading
EFF – EU copyright ruling has far reaching impact on copyright and deep linking
EFF – “In a case which threatens to cause turmoil for thousands if not millions of websites, the Court of Justice of the European Union decided today that a website that merely links to material that infringes copyright, can itself be found guilty of copyright infringement, provided only that the operator knew or could reasonably… Continue Reading
Foreign Relations of the United States Series – Digitized
Via FAS – The US Department of State – Foreign Relations of the United States Series Beta – “The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series, which is produced by the Department of State’s Office of the… Continue Reading
401(k) Plans: DOL Could Improve Use of Lifetime Income Options
401(K) PLANS: DOL Could Improve Use of Lifetime Income Options, GAO-16-433: Published: Aug 9, 2016. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2016. “Workers relying in large part on their 401(k) plan in retirement may not always have a feasible way to make their savings last throughout retirement. Responses to GAO’s non-generalizable questionnaire from 11 401(k) plan record… Continue Reading
Airbnb’s Work to Fight Discrimination and Build Inclusion
Airbnb’s Work to Fight Discrimination and Build Inclusion, A Report Submitted to Airbnb, By Laura W. Murphy, President, Laura Murphy & Associates. September 8, 2016. “Airbnb is a company that has made home sharing easier and more popular, and it has shown how home sharing can both facilitate travel and bring people from disparate backgrounds… Continue Reading
GAO Report on FOIA and Litigation Costs
Freedom of Information Act: Litigation Costs For Justice and Agencies Could Not Be Fully Determined, GAO-16-667: Published: Sep 8, 2016. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2016. “Of the 1,672 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits with a decision rendered between 2009 and 2014, GAO identified 112 lawsuits where the plaintiff substantially prevailed. Litigation-related costs for these… Continue Reading
The Intercept – Leaked Catalogue Reveals a Vast Array of Military Spy Gear Offered to US Police
Sam Biddle – The Intercept – “A confidential, 120-page catalogue of spy equipment, originating from British defense firm Cobham and circulated to U.S. law enforcement, touts gear that can intercept wireless calls and text messages, locate people via their mobile phones, and jam cellular communications in a particular area. The catalogue was obtained by The Intercept as part… Continue Reading
