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Daily Archives: April 24, 2016

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

“At COP 21 in Paris, Parties to the UNFCCC reached a historic agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework. The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts through “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. There will also be a global stocktake every 5 years to assess the collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the agreement and to inform further individual actions by Parties.” READ MORE

Secret Admirers: An Empirical Examination of Information Hiding and Contribution Dynamics in Online Crowdfunding

Burtch, Gordon and Ghose, Anindya and Wattal, Sunil, Secret Admirers: An Empirical Examination of Information Hiding and Contribution Dynamics in Online Crowdfunding (April 19, 2016). Information Systems Research, Forthcoming. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2767276 “Individuals’ actions in online social contexts are growing increasingly visible and traceable. Many online platforms account for this by providing… Continue Reading

Bob Dylan: The Uncut Interview

Robert Love, AARP Magazine: “I’ve always been drawn to spiritual songs,” Bob Dylan tells me. “In ‘Amazing Grace,’ that line —  ‘that saved a wretch like me ’— isn’t that something we could all say if we were honest enough?” At 73, Dylan is still in the game, still brutally honest and authentically himself, as… Continue Reading

Interest rate risk in the banking book

“The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has today issued standards for Interest Rate Risk in the Banking Book (IRRBB). The standards revise the Committee’s 2004 Principles for the management and supervision of interest rate risk, which set out supervisory expectations for banks’ identification, measurement, monitoring and control of IRRBB as well as its supervision. The… Continue Reading

BIS international banking statistics at end-December 2015

“The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) today released international banking statistics for the quarter and year ending in December 2015. The slowdown in cross-border banking activity that began in early 2015 broadened in the final quarter of the year. Whereas in Q3 2015 this slowdown was most pronounced for interbank activity and lending to emerging… Continue Reading

Leaders Aim to Put a Price on Half of All Global Carbon Emissions

World Bank – “Ten leaders, including Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, have laid out goals in a joint vision statement to expand carbon pricing to cover 25 percent of global emissions by 2020, and achieve 50 percent coverage within… Continue Reading

Terrorism, Human Rights, and Climate Change Top the Public’s Priority List for U.S. Engagement in World Affairs

Kaiser Family Foundation: Terrorism, Human Rights, and Climate Change Top the Public’s Priority List for U.S. Engagement in World Affairs “When it comes to world affairs, majorities of Americans list fighting terrorism (64%), protecting human rights (60%), and protecting the environment and fighting climate change (51%) as top priorities for the president and Congress, finds… Continue Reading

Reducing the Cost of Legal Education: The Profession Hangs Together or Hangs Separately

Gold, Victor James, Reducing the Cost of Legal Education: The Profession Hangs Together or Hangs Separately (April 22, 2016). Syracuse Law Review, Forthcoming; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2016-12. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2769126 “Is a legal education worth the cost? Until just a few years ago, there was… Continue Reading

New Apps Help Taxpayers Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Stateline: “Cities and states have long had hotlines for reporting misuse of government resources. But mobile apps bring a new level of sophistication. They allow people to submit photos and videos in support of their claims; and in some cases auditors can use the app to respond and ask for follow-up information, all while maintaining… Continue Reading

GAO Reports: Elections, Data Act, High Containment Laboratories, Tax Filing, Unaccompanied Children, VA Health Care

Elections: DOD Needs More Comprehensive Planning to Address Military and Overseas Absentee Voting Challenges, GAO-16-378: Published: Apr 20, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 20, 2016. Data Act: Section 5 Pilot Design Issues Need to Be Addressed to Meet Goal of Reducing Recipient Reporting Burden, GAO-16-438: Published: Apr 19, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 19, 2016. High-Containment Laboratories:… Continue Reading