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Daily Archives: January 3, 2017

OPM 2017 Salary Tables and Effective Date

OPM news release:  “We have posted the 2017 salary tables on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.  The 2017 pay schedules will become effective the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2017 (January 8, 2017, based on the standard biweekly payroll cycle).

The General Schedule and Other Statutory Pay Systems. The Executive order provides an across-the-board increase of 1 percent in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems––the General Schedule (GS), the Foreign Service schedule, and certain schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Special base rates for law enforcement officers at GS grades 3 through 10 also are increased by 1 percent.  (These law enforcement officers are assigned the “GL” pay plan code.)

Executive ScheduleUnder 5 U.S.C. 5318, Executive Schedule (EX) rates of pay will be increased by 1 percent (rounded to the nearest $100).  The EX salary table is available on OPM’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2017/executive-senior-level/.”

NIST Periodic Table of the Elements

Periodic Table of the Elements – 2016 periodic table Version History | Database Disclaimer R.A. Dragoset, A. Musgrove, C.W. Clark, and W.C. Martin NIST, Physical Measurement Laboratory “A periodic table, containing NIST critically-evaluated data on atomic properties of the elements was designed as a NIST handout for use at exhibitions and trade shows. The publication… Continue Reading

Updated Household Projections, 2015 – 2035: Methodology and Results

“Using new Census Bureau projections and a revised methodology for predicting headship rates, this paper updates the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies’ (JCHS) household projections for 2015 to 2035. The paper incorporates new population projections from the US Census Bureau that are substantially larger than the Census Bureau’s previous projections.The paper also makes… Continue Reading

The Death Penalty in 2016: Year End Report Another Record Decline In Death Penalty Use

Death Penalty Information Center – The Death Penalty in 2016: Year End Report – Another Record Decline In Death Penalty Use. Another Record Decline in Death Penalty Use. Death Sentences, Executions and Public Support for Death Penalty at Historic Lows. Courts Bar Unconstitutional Practices in 45 States. Continue Reading

Conclusion of Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreement

Federal Reserve: “As of January 2017, the Independent Foreclosure Review (IFR) Payment Agreement has concluded. In 2013, fifteen mortgage servicing companies subject to enforcement actions for deficient practices in mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure processing reached an agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Board of Governors of the… Continue Reading

GAO Report on Climate Change

Climate Change: Improved Federal Coordination Could Facilitate Use of Forward-Looking Climate Information in Design Standards, Building Codes, and Certifications, GAO-17-3: Published: Nov 30, 2016. Publicly Released: Jan 3, 2017. “The houses we live in, buildings we work in, and roads and bridges we use daily are supposed to be built to last—whatever the local forecast… Continue Reading

WaPo – More than 1,100 law school professors oppose Sessions’s nomination as attorney general

Washington Post, January 3, 2017: “A group of more than 1,100 law school professors [representing 170 law schools in 48 states] from across the country [sent] a letter to Congress on Tuesday urging the Senate to reject the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general. The letter, signed by professors from 170 law… Continue Reading

Eurasia Group – Top Risks 2017: The Geopolitical Recession

“This is Eurasia Group’s annual forecast of the political risks that are most likely to play out over the course of the year. This year’s report was published on 3 January, 2017.” Readers may watch the associated video, and read point by point summary. “It’s been six years since we first wrote about the coming… Continue Reading