Monthly archives: August, 2009

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Background Checks for Firearm Transfers

Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2008 – Statistical Tables “This web page describes background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 2008. The statistical tables below provide the number of firearm transaction applications checked by state points of contact and local agencies, the number of applications denied and the reasons for denial, and estimates of applications …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents

FCC Chairman Announces Senior Staff for Development of National Broadband Plan

News release: “Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the appointment of several senior staffers who will work on the development of a National Broadband Plan as part of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative…The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, directed the FCC to submit a National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 17, 2010 …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet

FTC Releases Reports on Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Sales and Marketing Expenditures

News release: “The amount spent on cigarette advertising and promotion by the five largest cigarette companies in the United States declined from $13.11 billion in 2005 to $12.49 billion in 2006, according to a report released today by the Federal Trade Commission. The largest spending category – spending on price discounts – fell from $9.78 …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Commentary Focuses on Powerful Brain "Seeking" Systems and Internet Usage

Via Slate: Seeking How the brain hard-wires us to love Google, Twitter, and texting. And why that’s dangerous, by Emily Yoffe. “…Actually all our electronic communication devices—e-mail, Facebook feeds, texts, Twitter—are feeding the same drive as our searches. Since we’re restless, easily bored creatures, our gadgets give us in abundance qualities the seeking/wanting system finds …

Subjects: Blogs, E-Mail, Internet, Knowledge Management, Search Engines

President Obama's Statement on Health Insurance Reform

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Says Health Reform Will Put Patients’ Interests Ahead of Insurance Company Profits: “President Barack Obama described just how dysfunctional the current health insurance system is and how reform will fix it. Right now, the American people have a system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for them. …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Government Documents, Legislation

CBO: Quality Initiatives Undertaken by the Veterans Health Administration

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – Quality Initiatives Undertaken by the Veterans Health Administration, August 2009. “With the return of veterans who have served in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and with a much larger number of veterans from earlier eras who are turning to the Department of Veterans Affairs for at least a portion …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Industry Resistance to Financial Watchdog Agency Solidifies

Consumer Financial Protection Agency Continues to Create Banker Angst: “As President Obama attempts to overhaul the financial services regulatory regime, the one requirement that has met even more resistance than executive pay caps is the proposed financial services consumer watchdog agency…The financial services industry has dug in its heels in hopes of at least helping …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legislation

DoD Web 2.0 Guidance Forum

DoD Web 2.0 Guidance Forum – Value of Web 2.0 Capabilities: “In examining how the Department of Defense should take maximal advantage of Web 2.0 capabilities (including social networking services, social media, wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, etc.), we are looking at how Web 2.0 capabilities can be used to improve current and future Department operations. …

Subjects: Blogs, E-Mail, Government Documents, RSS, Wiki

Largest Bank Failure this Year: FDIC Closes Colonial BancGroup

Failed Bank Information Information for Colonial Bank, Montgomery AL. “On Friday, August 14, 2009, Colonial Bank, Montgomery, AL was closed by the Alabama State Banking Department, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named Receiver. No advance notice is given to the public when a financial institution is closed.” BB&T acquisition of Colonial boosts …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Treasury, Energy Announce More Than $2 Billion in Recovery Act Tax Credits

News release: “As part of an innovative partnership aimed at increasing economic development while setting our nation on the path to energy independence, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy today announced a program to award $2.3 billion in tax credits to manufacturers of advanced energy equipment. Authorized by the …

Subjects: Government Documents