Day archives: July 27th, 2011

Report – Congress needs to Overhaul U.S. Secrecy Laws and Increase Oversight of the Secret Security Establishment

ACLU news release: “Today, we’re releasing a report, Drastic Measures Required: Congress needs to Overhaul U.S. Secrecy Laws and Increase Oversight of the Secret Security Establishment…we lay out the scope of the problem and analyze its unfortunate consequences for the operation of our government, for our national security, and for our democracy at large. The …

Subjects: Congress, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

House Bill – No Money for GPO's Federal Digital System, Sharply Cuts Other Information Resources

Library Journal: “On July 22, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2551, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 by a vote of 252 – 159. Unless the Senate acts, the bill would reduce GPO’s budget for FY12 by 20 percent to $108.1 million. Within the GPO budget is the appropriation for the Office of Superintendent …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries

SEC Staff Issues Summary Report of Sweep Examination of Structured Products Sold to Retail Investors

News release: “The Securities and Exchange Commission staff today issued a report identifying common weaknesses seen in sales of structured securities products and describing measures by broker-dealers to better protect retail investors from fraud and abusive sales practices. The report summarizes the results of a sweep examination of the retail structured securities products business of …

Subjects: Government Documents

Federal Reserve Beige Book, July 27, 2011

Full Report – Beige Book, July 27, 2011 and Links to the Districts: “Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicated that economic activity continued to grow; however, the pace has moderated in many Districts. The six Districts nearest the Atlantic seaboard reported a slowdown in activity since the previous Beige Book report; activity was …

Subjects: Government Documents

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

News release: “Mortgage applications decreased 5.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 22, 2011. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 5.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an …

Subjects: Knowledge Management

New GAO Reports: Disability Insurance, Financial Education and Counseling, DOD Financial Management, Economic Development, Traffic and Vehicle Safety

Department of Veterans Affairs: Issues Related to Real Property Realignment and Future Health Care Costs, by Lorelei St. James, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. GAO-11-877T, July 27, 2011 Disability Insurance: SSA Can Improve Efforts to Detect, Prevent, and Recover Overpayments. GAO-11-724, July 27, 2011 Financial Education and Counseling Pilot …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents

European Parliament – Responsible Lending – Barriers to Competition Study

Responsible Lending – Barriers to Competition, European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, July 2011 “This study analyses the main barriers to effective competition in the provision of mortgage credit. The study considers and discusses barriers affecting both the supply (distance, information sharing, cross-selling practices, linkages between mortgage lenders and other market players) and …

Subjects: Government Documents

USA.gov Links to Your Elected Officials

Roll Call reported late in the evening on July 26, 2011 that Congressional websites and phone systems crashed after President Obama’s speech on the debt ceiling. So via USA.gov, the following links to help you communicate with your elected officials, contact your U.S. Senator contact your Representative in the U.S. House contact the President contact …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government