CRS – Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response, June 24, 2014. “Fighting continues across Syria, pitting government forces and their foreign allies against a range of anti-government insurgents, some of whom also are fighting amongst themselves. Government forces are fighting on multiple fronts and have lost or ceded control of large areas of the country… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
High-Frequency Trading: Background, Concerns, and Regulatory Developments
CRS – High-Frequency Trading: Background, Concerns, and Regulatory Developments. Gary Shorter, Specialist in Financial Economics; Rena S. Miller, Specialist in Financial Economics. June 19, 2014. “On May 6, 2010, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), a broad stock index, fell by nearly 1,000 points over the course of several minutes and then quickly rebounded. This was one of the largest intraday… Continue Reading
Friends of the Earth – Bee Action Campaign
All via Friends of the Earth – “A new study shows that 36 out of 71 (51 percent) of garden plant samples purchased at top garden retailers in 18 cities in the United States and Canada contain neonicotinoid pesticides — a key contributor to recent bee declines. Some of the flowers contained neonic levels high enough to… Continue Reading
Payscale Report – The Most and Least Meaningful Jobs
“Does your job make the world a better place? Do meaningful jobs that pay well even exist? What does the term “job meaning” even mean? PayScale reports on how over 450 jobs compare on job meaning, salary and more.” Continue Reading
Is a Student Loan Crisis on the Horizon?
Brookings Center on Education Policy – Beth Akers and Matthew M. Chingos, June 2014 “College tuition and student debt levels have been increasing at a fast pace for at least two decades. These well-documented trends, coupled with an economy weakened by a major recession, have raised serious questions about whether the market for student debt is… Continue Reading
16 Year Old Coder Launches Browser Extension That Reveals Congressional Campaign Financing
“A free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari that exposes the role money plays in Congress. Displays on any web page detailed campaign contribution data for every Senator and Representative, including total amount received and breakdown by industry and by size of donation. Puts vital data where it’s most relevant so you can discover… Continue Reading
Unanimous Supreme Court Upholds Privacy Rights of Cell Phone Users – EPIC
EPIC – “The Supreme Court ruled today that a warrantless search of a cell phone violates the Fourth Amendment, even when it occurs during a lawful arrest. The Court’s decision in Riley v. California makes clear that “a search of the information on a cell phone bears little resemblance to the type of brief physical search” allowed… Continue Reading
GAO Report – Diplomatic Security in Overseas Facilities and Risks
DIPLOMATIC SECURITY: Overseas Facilities May Face Greater Risks Due to Gaps in Security-Related Activities, Standards, and Policies, GAO-14-655: Published: Jun 25, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2014: “GAO found that State has not fully developed and implemented a risk management policy for overseas facilities. Furthermore, State’s risk management activities do not operate as a continuous process or… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Aviation Safety, Export-Import Bank, Medicare Fraud, Traffic Safety
AVIATION SAFETY: Additional Oversight Planning by FAA Could Enhance Safety Risk Management, GAO-14-516: Published: Jun 25, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2014. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK: Status of GAO Recommendations on Risk Management, Exposure Forecasting, and Workload Issues, GAO-14-708T: Published: Jun 25, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2014. INFORMATION SECURITY: Additional Oversight Needed to Improve Programs at Small Agencies, GAO-14-344: Published: Jun 25, 2014. Publicly Released:… Continue Reading
No drone package deliveries in Amazon’s future?
“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today published a Federal Register notice on its interpretation of the statutory special rules for model aircraft in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The guidance comes after recent incidents involving the reckless use of unmanned model aircraft near airports and involving large crowds of people. Compliance… Continue Reading
Americans working harder, longer hours, with less time off
TechCrunch [snipped]: “Professionals, managers, and executives with a smartphone spend 72 hours a week (including the weekend) checking work e-mail. It’s become a nonstop world, especially for professional workers. But all employers are offering fewer vacation days and sick days than they used to. And those who are lucky enough to get paid vacation days aren’t using them. A… Continue Reading
Health Insurance Rates and Rate Review
Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics – This Data Brief was written by Scott E. Harrington, PhD and Janet Weiner, MPH. “Health insurers participating in the new Marketplaces are filing rates for 2015 during the next few months. A few states have already released data on proposed rates. There is substantial economic, policy, and political interest… Continue Reading
