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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Working Paper – Do economies stall? The international evidence

Do economies stall? The international evidence by Wai-Yip Alex Ho and James Yetman. Working Papers No 407, March 2013 A “stalling” economy has been defined as one that experiences a discrete deterioration in economic performance following a decline in its growth rate to below some threshold level. Previous efforts to identify stalls have focused primarily… Continue Reading

EPA Announces Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings in the US

News release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings in 2012, highlighting how owners and managers of commercial buildings across the country are taking action on climate change while delivering real financial savings to the bottom line…In 2012, more than 20,000 Energy… Continue Reading

New on LLRX – A national digital library endowment

Via LLRX.com – A national digital library endowment: How America’s billionaires could be modern Carnegies for real – David H. Rothman discusses how e-books, collections of electrons, not atoms, come with special advantages. They eliminate physical-shelving costs and are especially useful for blind people and others with special needs. Digital technology can also help multiply… Continue Reading

EPIC – States Fine Google for Street View Privacy Violations

“Attorneys general for 38 states and the District of Columbia today reached a “$7 Million Settlement” with Google over consumer protection and privacy claims. The company engaged in the unauthorized collection of data from wireless networks, including private WiFi networks of residential Internet users. A detailed Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, setting out the terms of… Continue Reading

2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index

News release: “After the “Arab springs” and other protest movements that prompted many rises and falls in last year’s index, the 2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index marks a return to a more usual configuration. The ranking of most countries is no longer attributable to dramatic political developments. This year’s index is a… Continue Reading

CRS – U.S. Immigration Policy: Chart Book of Key Trends

U.S. Immigration Policy: Chart Book of Key Trends, Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy, March 7, 2013 “This report is a chart book of selected immigration trends that touch on the main elements of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Most policymakers agree that the main issues in CIR include increased border security and immigration enforcement,… Continue Reading

Federal Employees’ Retirement System: The Role of the Thrift Savings Plan

CRS – Federal Employees’ Retirement System: The Role of the Thrift Savings Plan, Katelin P. Isaacs, Analyst in Income Security. March 8, 2013 “Federal employees participate in one of two retirement systems. The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) was established in 1920 and covers only employees hired before 1984. Participants in the CSRS do not… Continue Reading

Commentary – Why We Miss the First Sale Doctrine in Digital Libraries

John Palfrey: “Publishers, ebook vendors, and libraries are engaged in a “tug of war” over the lending of electronic books, according to Library Journal’s recent ebook survey. This clash inhibits most libraries from fulfilling their important institutional missions to provide access to knowledge and preserve our cultural heritage. In the best case, this tug of… Continue Reading

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Welfare Waivers

CRS – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Welfare Waivers. Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Policy. March 7, 2013 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is willing to waive certain federal work participation standards under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to permit states to experiment with “alternative… Continue Reading