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Daily Archives: December 18, 2013

Resetting the Poverty Debate: State of the States 2013

Resetting the Poverty Debate: State of the States 2013 by Erik Stegman and Sarah Baron | December 17, 2013

“In 2012, the official poverty rate in the United States was 15 percent, statistically unchanged from 2011. Nearly one in six people, or 46.5 million Americans, lived below the official federal poverty line—$23,492 per year for a family of four. Each year, to track the progress toward the goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years, the Center for American Progress Action Fund publishes an annual Half in Ten report that examines 21 different indicators of economic security and opportunity. It helps us better understand where we are improving the situation for America’s struggling families and where we need to do a better job nationally. While our annual report focuses on the national landscape of poverty in America, this new report follows up with a comparative look at the states. For each indicator examined in our national report, we rank the states in comparison to one another and provide some context about policies to improve those indicators. The bottom line is this: Low-income families in states across the country are suffering from too many years of reckless efforts to reduce the federal deficit. Although many states need to improve local policies—especially those that hinder the ability of low-income families to access federally funded programs—the state-by-state results from our indicators show that the budget choices we make at the national level have consequences. The effects of sequestration will continue into next year and for many years thereafter. “It is like a slowly growing cancer,” says Steven Warren, vice chancellor of research and graduate studies at the University of Kansas. In 2014, sequestration will only get worse. The cuts will be deeper. Many of this year’s cuts simply have not been implemented yet. And the one-time fixes that agencies made this year to mitigate sequestration’s impacts are no longer an option moving forward.”

New on LLRX – FOIA Frustration

Via LLRX.com – FOIA Frustration: Attorney and FOIA expert Scott A. Hodes discusses how requestors’ experience in obtaining results from the FOIA process can in large measure be mitigated by two key factors – FOIA Offices must have the ability to follow the law, and top agency management must allow the professionals within the agency to do this. Continue Reading

Gallup – Record High in U.S. Say Big Government Greatest Threat

Now 72% say it is greater threat than big business or big labor, by Jeffrey M. Jones: “Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question. The prior high for… Continue Reading

Student Privacy in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem

Student Privacy in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem State of Play & Potential Paths Forward by Urs Gasser, Alicia Solow-Niederman, Caroline Nolan – Download from SSRN “This report draws from ongoing Student Privacy Initiative research as well as participant inputs from an April 2013 exploratory workshop, “Student Privacy in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem,” to begin to map the current landscape and connect… Continue Reading

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement December 18, 2013

“Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in October indicates that economic activity is expanding at a moderate pace. Labor market conditions have shown further improvement; the unemployment rate has declined but remains elevated. Household spending and business fixed investment advanced, while the recovery in the housing sector slowed somewhat in recent months.… Continue Reading

Trends in Insurance Coverage and Source of Private Coverage Among Young Adults Aged 19–25

Trends in Insurance Coverage and Source of Private Coverage Among Young Adults Aged 19–25: United States, 2008–2012. Whitney K. Kirzinger, M.P.H.; Robin A. Cohen, Ph.D.; and Renee M. Gindi, Ph.D. Data from the National Health Interview Survey, 2008–2012: The percentage of young adults with private health insurance coverage increased from the last 6 months of 2010 through… Continue Reading

Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies Presents Report to President Obama

Transmittal Letter from Richard A. Clarke; Michael J. Morell; Geoffrey R. Stone; Cass R. Sunstein; Peter Swire – “Dear Mr. President: We are honored to present you with the Final Report of the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies – Liberty and Security in a Changing World. Consistent with your memorandum of August 27, 2013, our recommendations… Continue Reading

Medical Community in US and Abroad – Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death

New York Times Well Blog: “One in two adults takes a daily vitamin pill, and Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on supplements. Now, a small coterie of physicians writing in a leading medical journal has offered this blunt advice: “Stop wasting money.” In an unusually direct opinion piece, the five authors say that for… Continue Reading

Best Places to Work in the Federal Government 2013

“The 2013 Best Places to Work data present a disturbing picture of federal employees throughout the government who are increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs and workplaces. Government-wide, the federal employee job satisfaction and commitment level dropped for the third year in a row, tumbling 3 points to a score of 57.8 on a scale of… Continue Reading

CFPB Should Reassess Approach to Integrating Enforcement Attorneys Into Examinations and Enhance Associated Safeguards

Office of Inspector General – Evaluation Report 2013-AE-C-021. The CFPB Should Reassess Its Approach  to Integrating Enforcement Attorneys  Into Examinations and  Enhance Associated Safeguards. December 16, 2013. “The CFPB should determine the appropriate level of enforcement attorney integration into examinations by reassessing the potential risks associated with the practice against the potential benefits and document the results of… Continue Reading

Women in the United States Congress: Historical Overview, Tables, and Discussion

CRS – Women in the United States Congress: Historical Overview, Tables, and Discussion, Jennifer E. Manning, Information Research Specialist; Colleen J. Shogan, Deputy Director CRS; Ida A. Brudnick, Specialist on the Congress. December 16, 2013. “A record 102 women currently serve in the 113th Congress: 82 in the House (63 Democrats and 19 Republicans) and 20 in the Senate (16 Democrats… Continue Reading