[On May 5, 2014] “the Director of National Intelligence released additional documents related to the intelligence-gathering activities authorized by President George W. Bush shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11 and subsequently transitioned to authority of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. On Dec. 20, 2013, the DNI declassified and acknowledged the presidentially-authorized activities, and his public… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
IMF Real Size of the World Economies
“The International Comparison Program (ICP) released [on April 29, 2014] new data today showing that the world economy produced goods and services worth over $90 trillion in 2011, and that almost half of the world’s total output came from low and middle income countries. Under the authority of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the 2011 round… Continue Reading
Congress Seeking Transparency and Oversight of NSA Collection of Metadata
New York Review of Books – We Kill People Based on Metadata by David Cole [snipped] “Supporters of the National Security Agency inevitably defend its sweeping collection of phone and Internet records on the ground that it is only collecting so-called “metadata”—who you call, when you call, how long you talk. Since this does not include the actual content… Continue Reading
The Extent and Impact of U.S. Infrastructure Jobs – Brookings
“In 2012, 14.2 million workers were employed in infrastructure jobs across the country, accounting for 11 percent of national employment. Truck drivers, electricians, and civil engineers are among the occupations employing the most workers overall, the broad majority of whom (77 percent) focus on operating infrastructure rather than its construction (15 percent), design (6 percent), or… Continue Reading
Declining Business Dynamism in the United States: A Look at States and Metros
Via Brookings Economic Studies – Ian Hathaway and Robert E. Litan – “Business dynamism is the process by which firms continually are born, fail, expand, and contract, as some jobs are created, others are destroyed, and others still are turned over. Research has firmly established that this dynamic process is vital to productivity and sustained economic growth.… Continue Reading
Global Survey: What’s creating tension between IT and business leaders?
Via avande: “If the marketing department is making its own decisions about an email marketing service, shouldn’t it also be responsible for ensuring that the chosen technology integrates seamlessly and securely with the company’s customer relationship management (CRM) database? And if problems arise after the marketing team starts using it, is it up to IT… Continue Reading
Securities/Commodities/Exchange Civil Filings Jump 43%
“The latest available data from the federal courts show that during March 2014 the government reported a 43 percent jump in new securities/commodities/exchange civil filings. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), there were 93 new filings in March, up from 65 in February. It is too soon to… Continue Reading
U.S. Open Data Action Plan
U.S. Open Data Action Plan, May 9, 2014. “Throughout his Administration, President Obama has articulated a vision of the U.S. Government managing information as a national asset and opening up its data, where possible, as a public good to advance government efficiency, improve accountability, and fuel private sector innovation, scientific discovery, and economic growth. Putting government… Continue Reading
The Ups and Downs in Women’s Employment: Shifting Composition or Behavior from 1970 to 2010?
“This paper tracks factors contributing to the ups and downs in women’s employment from 1970 to 2010 using regression decompositions focusing on whether changes are due to shifts in the means (composition of women) or due to shifts in coefficients (inclinations of women to work for pay). Compositional shifts in education exerted a positive effect… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve Human Capital Compendium
“This repository provides access to research published since 2008 by the Board of Governors and all 12 Federal Reserve Banks on topics related to employment, unemployment, and workforce development. Our aim is to make this resource a vital tool for researchers, students, and all those interested in the economics of labor markets and workforce development.” Continue Reading
Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings
CRS – Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings. Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney; Michael John Garcia, Legislative Attorney. April 21, 2014 “As part of the conflict with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the United States has captured and detained numerous persons believed to have been part of or associated with enemy forces. Over the years, federal courts… Continue Reading
The Understanding the Brain Portal
“The National Science Foundation’s goal is to enable scientific understanding of the full complexity of the brain, in action and in context, through targeted, cross-disciplinary investments in research, technology, and workforce development. Understanding the Brain activities promise innovative and integrated solutions to challenges in our ability to predict how collective interactions between brain function and our physical and… Continue Reading
