Monthly archives: April, 2012

The Peace Corps: Current Issues

CRS – The Peace Corps: Current Issues – Curt Tarnoff, Specialist in Foreign Affairs, April 4, 2012 “Founded in 1961, the Peace Corps has sought to meet its legislative mandate of promoting world peace and friendship by sending American volunteers to serve at the grassroots level in villages and towns in all corners of the …

Subjects: Government Documents

How much does the U.S. spend on health care?

“How much does the U.S. spend on health care? This Institute of Medicine infographic explores waste in spending and opportunities for savings. The United States spends far more on health care than any other nation. In 2009, health care costs reached $2.5 trillion—nearly 17 percent of the GDP. Yet despite this spending, health outcomes in …

Subjects: Government Documents

Ensuring Safe Foods and Medical Products Through Stronger Regulatory Systems Abroad

Ensuring Safe Foods and Medical Products Through Stronger Regulatory Systems Abroad, April 4, 2012 “Whether it’s suspect scallions from Mexico or contaminated ingredients from China used in the blood thinner heparin, the FDA is intimately familiar with the daunting task of policing the safety of food and medical products faced by regulators abroad. The FDA …

Subjects: Government Documents

The U.S. Infant Mortality Rate: International Comparisons, Underlying Factors, and Federal Programs

CRS: The U.S. Infant Mortality Rate: International Comparisons, Underlying Factors, and Federal Programs, Elayne J. Heisler, Analyst in Health Services, April 4, 2012 “The infant mortality rate (IMR)—the number of deaths occurring in the first year of life per 1,000 live births—is a widely used proxy for the health status of a nation, and is …

Subjects: Government Documents

Official legal portal provides multiple language access to offical French legal documents

Via Stephane Cottin, Membre du conseil d’administration at ADIJ Association pour le developpement de l’informatique juridique – France – news on the availability of new databases that provide multiple language access to the French official legal portal Legifrance.gouv.fr – Translations of French legal texts Italian Arabic German Spanish Chinese A list of French legal texts …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research, Libraries

SmartMoney – 10 Things Online Data Collectors Won't Say

10 Things Online Data Collectors Won’t Say – They know your online browsing secrets. We reveal their hidden tactics. “If you’re reading this on the Internet, chances are you’re being followed. More than 200 data collection companies and ad networks use approximately 600 different tracking technologies to gather and sell information on people’s web habits, …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Internet, Privacy

New online portal, app provide information on tsunami zones in Northwest

News release: “A new suite of online portal and smartphone apps is providing information on tsunami zones in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest Tsunami Evacuation Zones online portal and free apps provide an at-a-glance view of tsunami hazard zones along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing …

Subjects: E-Government

New Program – Teaching Future Scientists to Talk

“Our program is a collaboration between life scientists at the University of Missouri at Columbia and faculty members in the School of Journalism. We pay students to work in research laboratories and develop independent research projects, and, at the same time, we train them in journalistic and communication techniques. Participating students produce blogs, news articles, …

Subjects: Knowledge Management

Federal Reserve Policy Statement on Rental of Residential Other Real Estate Owned Properties

Policy Statement, April 5, 2012: “In light of the large volume of distressed residential properties and the indications of higher demand for rental housing in many markets, some banking organizations may choose to make greater use of rental activities in their disposition strategies than in the past. This policy statement reminds banking organizations and examiners …

Subjects: Government Documents

FTC – April is Financial Literacy Month

News release: “April is Financial Literacy Month, and the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has information to help you make the most of your money whether you’re a student, young adult, parent, older person, or military service member. Information from the FTC can help people gain mental muscle by understanding how credit …

Subjects: Government Documents

Latest Survey: Consumer Delinquencies Fall in All Categories in Fourth Quarter 2011

“Consumer delinquencies fell in all 11 loan categories tracked by the American Bankers Association, which today released results from the fourth quarter 2011 Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. The composite ratio, which tracks delinquencies in eight closed-end installment loan categories, fell 10 basis points to 2.49 percent of all accounts in the fourth quarter, the lowest …

Subjects: Government Documents