Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

The Trend in Long-Term Unemployment and Characteristics of Workers Unemployed for Two Years or More

CRS – The Trend in Long-Term Unemployment and Characteristics of Workers Unemployed for Two Years or More, Gerald Mayer, Analyst in Labor Policy, March 24, 2014 “One of the characteristics of the recession that officially began in the United States in December 2007 and ended in June 2009 was the unprecedented rise in long-term unemployment. The longterm unemployed are often… Continue Reading

Economic Report of the President 2014

“The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation’s economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after the submission of the Budget of the… Continue Reading

Map any place in the world even if you’ve never been there.

“Map data is key to humanitarian and development missions. MapGive helps new volunteers learn to map and get involved in online tasks. Open Mapping, or crowdsourced mapping, is when volunteers work together to create a free map of the world. These maps help play a critical role in humanitarian and development missions. Learn about all the… Continue Reading

Energy Boom Fuels Rapid Population Growth in Parts of Great Plains, Gulf Coast

News release: “Oil- and gas-rich areas in and near the Great Plains contained many of the fastest-growing areas in the U.S. last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. Areas along and near the Gulf Coast were also home to several high-growth communities. Of the nation’s 10 fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas in the… Continue Reading

OECD Sovereign Borrowing Outlook

“Borrowing operations by OECD governments are set to decrease, as their borrowing needs continue to decline, according to a new OECD report. Net borrowing needs are projected to fall from USD 2.0 trillion in 2013 to USD 1.5 trillion in 2014, the lowest level since 2007.  The Sovereign Borrowing Outlook 2014 estimates that gross borrowing requirements… Continue Reading

Teaching the Movement 2014: The State of Civil Rights Education in the United States

“This report was prepared by the Southern Poverty Law Center under the guidance of Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello. The principal researcher and writer was Kate Shuster, Ph.D. The report was reviewed by Hasan Jeffries, Ph.D. and Jeremy Stern, Ph.D. It was edited by Maureen Costello, Alice Pettway, Adrienne van der Valk and Monita Bell… Continue Reading

Commentary on Big data – does hype live up to expectations

Big data: are we making a big mistake? By Tim Harford: “Big data is a vague term for a massive phenomenon that has rapidly become an obsession with entrepreneurs, scientists, governments and the media…As with so many buzzwords, “big data” is a vague term, often thrown around by people with something to sell. Some emphasise the sheer scale of… Continue Reading

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013

John F. Kerry – Secretary of State: “As we mark the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlight the continued pursuit of “free and equal dignity in human rights” in every corner of the world. Based on factual reporting from our embassies and… Continue Reading

On Ravaged Tar Sands Lands, Big Challenges for Reclamation

Ed Struzik: “The challenges of restoring a landscape uprooted by the destructive practice of oil sands mining — which involves strip mining the earth to depths of up to 250 feet — are enormous. Oil sands mining occurs primarily in complex wetland ecosystems of boreal swamps, bogs, and peatland fens that were formed over thousands of… Continue Reading

Urban China: Toward Efficient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Urbanization

The joint report by the World Bank and the Development Research Center of China’s State Council, Urban China: Toward Efficient, Inclusive and Sustainable Urbanization, includes six priority areas for a new model of urbanization: Reforming land management and institutions Reforming the hukou household-registration system to provide equal access to quality services for all citizens and create a more mobile… Continue Reading

How Well Does Dodd-Frank Address Regulatory Gaps and Market Failures that Led to the Housing Bubble?

Holstein, Adora D., How Well Does Dodd-Frank Address Regulatory Gaps and Market Failures that Led to the Housing Bubble? (2013). Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 25, No. 1, Spring 2013. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2415043 “This study maps key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 against gaps in regulation and market failures that… Continue Reading

SEC Staff Analysis of Data and Academic Literature Related to Money Market Fund Reform

“The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission made available certain analyses of data and academic literature related to money market fund reform.  The analyses, which were conducted by the staff of the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis, are available for review and comment on the Commission’s website as part of the comment… Continue Reading