CRUISE VESSELS – Most Required Security and Safety Measures Have Been Implemented, but Concerns Remain About Crime Reporting, December 2013. “The cruise industry and federal agencies have implemented 11 of 15 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) provisions, but implementation of 4 provisions requires the development of regulations and policy, and is underway. Officials from… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
NIH study: Research-based strategies help reduce underage drinking
“Strategies recommended by the Surgeon General to reduce underage drinking have shown promise when put into practice, according to scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. These approaches include nighttime restrictions on young drivers and strict license suspension policies, interventions focused on partnerships between… Continue Reading
Prosecutions of Health Care Fraud Law Reach New High in FY 2013
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: “The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during FY 2013 a record high of 377 individuals were prosecuted under the federal Health Care Fraud law (18 USC 1347). According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 3 percent over… Continue Reading
CDC – 2012 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance
2012 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance “STDs are hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic consequence in the United States. They are hidden because many Americans are reluctant to address sexual health issues in an open way and because of the biologic and social characteristics of these diseases. All Americans have an interest in STD prevention… Continue Reading
Rising Costs and Delays in Construction of New DHS Headquarters
Reality Check Needed: Rising Costs and Delays in Construction of New DHS Headquarters at St. Elizabeths. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, January 2014, Prepared by Majority Staff of the Committee on Homeland Security. “Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, released a…report examines the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – TSA Screening, VA Vocational Rehabilitation
SCREENING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM – TSA Issued Application Guidance and Developed a Mechanism to Monitor Private versus Federal Screener Performance, GAO-14-269T, Jan 14, 2014 VA VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT – Further Performance and Workload Management Improvements Are Needed, GAO-14-61, Jan 14, 2014 Continue Reading
CDT – Court Strikes Blow to FCC’s Open Internet Rules
“Today, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Federal Communication Commission’s Open Internet rules in its Verizon v. FCC ruling. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), which filed an amicus brief in the case on behalf of First Amendment scholars, issued the following statement in response to the ruling: “The court’s ruling is disappointing because it strikes… Continue Reading
Agencies Approve Interim Final Rule Authorizing Retention of Interests in and Sponsorship of CDOs
“Five federal agencies on Tuesday approved an interim final rule to permit banking entities to retain interests in certain collateralized debt obligations backed primarily by trust preferred securities (TruPS CDOs) from the investment prohibitions of section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, known as the Volcker rule. Under the interim… Continue Reading
McKinsey – Education to employment: Getting Europe’s youth into work
Youth unemployment across the European Union remains unacceptably high, to the detriment of current and future generations. Addressing it requires understanding its causes and then relentlessly pursuing solutions. January 2014. “The problem of youth unemployment in the European Union is not new. Youth unemployment has been double or even triple the rate of general unemployment in Europe… Continue Reading
Technology Transfers for Climate Change
Technology Transfers for Climate Change. May Elsayyad – Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich – Munich Graduate School of Economics (MGSE); Florian Morath – Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, December 30, 2013, CESifo Working Paper Series No. 4521. “This paper considers investments in cost-reducing technology in the context of contributions to climate… Continue Reading
DefenseTech – British Fighter Flies with 3D Printed Parts
Mike Hoffman: “The United Kingdom’s Tornado became the first fighter jet to fly with 3D printed parts in December. Done by BAE Systems, the Tornado was fitted with metal components constructed by a 3D printer. The plane then completed test flights at the end of December at BAE System’s airfield in Warton, Lancashire. The 3D printer constructed a protective… Continue Reading
Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013
Second Largest Annual Recovery in History Whistleblower Lawsuits Soar to 752 “The Justice Department secured $3. 8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery announced today. This dollar amount, which is… Continue Reading
