Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report – Twelfth Session of Working Group I – Approved Summary for Policymakers. IPCC WGI AR5 SPM-2 27. September 2013 Working Group I Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment -Report Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Summary for Policymakers – A. Introduction “The Working Group I contribution to the… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
NYT Reports – NSA maps some Americans’ social connections
Via cnet – “Facebook, Google, and other tech firms apparently aren’t the only ones who’ve been fascinated by the potential of “social graphs” — maps of people’s social connections. The NSA has reportedly been tapping its giant repositories of phone and e-mail data to create complex diagrams of some Americans’ interactions, including lists of associates… Continue Reading
Commentary – What Does the Zapruder Film Really Tell Us?
What Does the Zapruder Film Really Tell Us? Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris deconstructs the most famous 26 seconds in film history. Ron Rosenbaum – Smithsonian magazine, October 2013, “It’s been called the most important 26 seconds of film in history: The 486 frames of 8-millimeter Bell + Howell home movie footage shot in the midday sun of Dallas on November… Continue Reading
Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power
Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power. Kenneth R. Thomas, Legislative Attorney. September 23, 2013 “The lines of authority between states and the federal government are, to a significant extent, defined by the United States Constitution and relevant case law. In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has decided a… Continue Reading
Government Shutdown: Operations of DOD During a Lapse in Appropriations
Government Shutdown: Operations of the Department of Defense During a Lapse in Appropriations. Pat Towell, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget; Amy Belasco, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget. September 26, 2013 “Through most of the second half of FY2013, funding for the Department of Defense (DOD), as for most other federal agencies,… Continue Reading
TRAC: Decline in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Lawsuits
“Over the past five years the number of motor vehicle product liability lawsuits filed in federal courts has dropped nearly 40 percent, according to the latest available data from the federal courts. During August 2013 the government reported 17 new filings of this sort, down 10.5 percent from the previous month and 8 percent lower… Continue Reading
Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon
WaPo article by Michael E. Ruane: “The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon is a $106 million project designed to be the international center for Washington scholarship, with a trove of his personal books and manuscripts at its core. The enterprise aims to elevate Mount Vernon from a… Continue Reading
Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
CRS – Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Michelle D. Christensen, Analyst in Government Organization and Management; Frederick M. Kaiser, Visiting Scholar. September 9, 2013 “This report provides a primer on some of the fundamental aspects of the security clearance process, using a “Frequently Asked Questions” format. A security clearance is a determination… Continue Reading
FRASER digital library releases archival documents from early days of the Federal Reserve
“The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has released newly digitized archival material, making FRASER (Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research) the largest digital collection of Federal Reserve historical materials. These documents offer a glimpse into the founding of the Fed and its policy making activities. In light of the Fed’s centennial, librarians and… Continue Reading
National Archives Issues Second Volume of President Obama’s Public Papers
“The National Archives announced today that the second volume of the “Public Papers of President Barack Obama” is now available for sale. Produced by the National Archives, Office of the Federal Register and the U.S. Government Printing Office, the 980-page volume includes a foreword by President Obama, along with the text of his public speeches,… Continue Reading
Federal Debt and the Statutory Limit, September 2013
CBO – Federal Debt and the Statutory Limit, September 2013 “The Congress has traditionally placed a limit on the total amount of debt that the Department of the Treasury can issue to the public and to other federal agencies. Law-makers have enacted numerous increases to the debt limit—commonly known as the debt ceiling—some of which… Continue Reading
The evolution of the Basel Committee
The evolution of the Basel Committee – Keynote address by Stefan Ingves, Chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and Governor of Sveriges Riksbank, at a symposium to mark 25 years of the Basel Capital Accord: 25 years of international financial regulation: Challenges and opportunities, Basel, 26 September 2013 “But times change, the financial sector… Continue Reading
