Introducing a Public Advocate into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s Courts: – Select Legal Issues. Andrew Nolan , Legislative Attorney; Richard M. Thompson II , Legislative Attorney; Vivian S. Chu, Legislative Attorney, October 25, 2013. “Recent revelations about the size and scope of government foreign surveillance efforts have prompted some to criticize the level of scrutiny that the courts – established under the… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Commentary explores the historical roots of regional gun violence in America
The Battle Lines of Today’s Debates Over Gun Control, Stand-Your-Ground Laws, and Other Violence-Related Issues Were Drawn Centuries Ago by America’s Early Settlers, by Colin Woodard, Tufts Magazine Fall 2013. “…Our death rate from assault is many times higher than that of most other countries, whether highly urbanized or sparsely populated. State-sponsored violence, too—in the… Continue Reading
NY Fed Chair – Ending Too Big to Fail
William C. Dudley, President and Chief Executive Officer – Remarks at the Global Economic Policy Forum, New York City, November 8, 2013 “..My remarks are going to focus on what is called the “too big to fail” problem. As you are aware, this problem arises when the failure of a large, complex financial institution threatens to… Continue Reading
CRS – Unemployment Insurance: Consequences of Changes in State Unemployment Laws
Unemployment Insurance: Consequences of Changes in State Unemployment Compensation Laws – Katelin P. Isaacs, Analyst in Income Security, October 30, 2013 “This report analyzes several types of recent changes to state Unemployment Compensation (UC) programs. Three categories of UC state law issues are considered: (1) changes in the duration of state UC unemployment benefits; (2)… Continue Reading
NYT – No Morsel Too Minuscule for All-Consuming N.S.A.
Via Scott Shane this investigative report – “From thousands of classified documents, the National Security Agency emerges as an electronic omnivore of staggering capabilities, eavesdropping and hacking its way around the world to strip governments and other targets of their secrets, all the while enforcing the utmost secrecy about its own operations. It spies routinely on friends as well as… Continue Reading
The Zen of Web Discovery
The Zen of Web Discovery by John Hubbard, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 10-1-2013 “Many libraries have revitalized their role by offering an updated resource discovery layer. This article gives an informal overview of design principles and best practices for implementing a web-scale discovery system. Emphasis is placed on the proper service philosophy of supporting… Continue Reading
New and Updated Resources Look at the Uninsured and the Affordable Care Act
“The Kaiser Family Foundation has updated two resources on health coverage and the uninsured and created a new interactive feature that highlights several segments of the uninsured population and how they are likely to be affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Uninsured: A Primer – Key Facts about Health Insurance on the Eve… Continue Reading
Uniform Agreement on the Classification and Appraisal of Securities Held by Financial Institutions
Financial Institution Letter – FIL-51-2013 – October 29, 2013: “The FDIC and the other federal banking agencies are issuing the attached joint statement to update and revise the 2004 Uniform Agreement on the Classification of Assets and Appraisal of Securities Held by Banks and Thrifts (2004 Agreement). The statement reiterates the importance of a robust investment analysis process and the… Continue Reading
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
CRS – Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, Kenneth Katzman – Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs – October 23, 2013 “The United States and its partner countries are reducing military involvement in Afghanistan as Afghan security forces assume lead security responsibility throughout the country. The current international security mission will terminate at the end of 2014 and likely… Continue Reading
CRS – Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources – Rita Tehan, Information Research Specialist. October 25, 2013 “Cybersecurity is a sprawling topic that includes national, international, government, and private industry dimensions. In the 113th Congress, 5 bills have been introduced in the Senate and 7 in the House. More than 40 bills and resolutions with provisions related to cybersecurity were introduced in… Continue Reading
EPIC – Leahy and Sensenbrenner Introduce USA FREEDOM Act
“The Democratic Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Republican author of the Patriot Act have introduced the USA FREEDOM Act, which would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and limit NSA surveillance activities. A bi-partisan coalition, including 17 Senators and 70 Members of Congress, have joined as original co-sponsors. Key provisions of the FREEDOM… Continue Reading
H.R. 2767, Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act of 2013
CBO Cost Estimate of H.R. 2767 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on July 24, 2013: “H.R. 2767 would require the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to repeal the charters of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and end the operations of those firms five years after enactment of the bill (and… Continue Reading
