Monthly archives: June, 2012

Federal Government Moves Forward with Drone Programs

Follow up to DHS IG – Customs and Border Protection Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Nation’s Border Security – via EFF: “DHS’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report (pdf) detailing multiple problems with the drones used to patrol US borders. This report, combined with the Federal Aviation Administration’s lack of openness …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy

Trends in Employment-Based Coverage Among Workers, and Access to Coverage Among Uninsured Workers, 1995‒2011

Trends in Employment-Based Coverage Among Workers, and Access to Coverage Among Uninsured Workers, 1995‒2011, by Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., EBRI, May 2012 “Between December 2007–August 2009, the percentage of workers with employment-based coverage in their own name fell from 60.4 percent to 55.9 percent, recovering to 56.5 percent by December 2009. However, by April 2011, the …

Subjects: Government Documents

US Ignite Launches to Catalyze the Next Generation of Internet Applications

“US Ignite is an initiative to promote US leadership in developing applications and services for ultra-fast broadband and software-defined networks. It will foster the creation of novel applications and digital experiences that will transform healthcare, education and job skills training, public safety, energy, and advanced manufacturing. By serving as a coordinator and incubator of this …

Subjects: Government Documents, Internet

CBO – Raising the Excise Tax on Cigarettes: Effects on Health and the Federal Budget

Raising the Excise Tax on Cigarettes: Effects on Health and the Federal Budget, June 2012 “The federal government spends roughly $1 trillion on health care programs each year, so it is easy to imagine that policies that promote a healthier population could have a significant impact on the federal budget. This study uses a policy …

Subjects: Government Documents

UK Mail reports Google and Apple deploying advanced satellite surveillance

Mail Online: “Spy planes able to photograph sunbathers in their back gardens are being deployed by Google and Apple. The U.S. technology giants are racing to produce aerial maps so detailed they can show up objects just four inches wide. But campaigners say the technology is a sinister development that brings the surveillance society a …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Internet, Privacy, Search Engines

New GAO Reports – Delayed-Baggage Trends, Joint Strike Fighter, National Medicaid Audit Program

Transportation – Delayed-Baggage Trends and Options for Compensating Passengers, GAO-12-804R, June 14, 2012 Joint Strike Fighter – DOD Actions Needed to Further Enhance Restructuring and Address Affordability Risks, GAO-12-437, June 14, 2012 National Medicaid Audit Program – CMS Should Improve Reporting and Focus on Audit Collaboration with States, GAO-12-627, June 14, 2012 National Medicaid Audit …

Subjects: Government Documents

DHS IG – Customs and Border Protection Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Nation’s Border Security

DHS OIG – CBP’s Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Nation’s Border Security, OIG-12-85, May 2012 “We conducted a review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions to establish its unmanned aircraft systems program. The purpose of the program is to provide reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and acquisition capabilities across all CBP areas of …

Subjects: Government Documents