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Daily Archives: March 11, 2013

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Welfare Waivers

CRS – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Welfare Waivers. Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Policy. March 7, 2013

  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is willing to waive certain federal work participation standards under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to permit states to experiment with “alternative and innovative strategies, policies, and procedures that are designed to improve employment outcomes for needy families.” HHS announced this initiative on July 12, 2012. The major provision that HHS would waive is the numerical performance standards that states must meet or risk being penalized through a reduction in their TANF block grant. TANF statute provides that 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families included in a participation rate are required to be engaged in work, though few states have ever faced the full standard because this percentage is reduced for certain credits.”
  • ProPublica Profiles Data Brokers

    Lois Beckett – ProPublica: “Data companies are scooping up enormous amounts of information about almost every American. They sell information about whether you’re pregnant or divorced or trying to lose weight, about how rich you are and what kinds of cars you have. Regulators and some in Congress have been taking a closer look at… Continue Reading

    Pogo Blog – 5 Great Online Tools for Mining Public Records

    Lili Shirley: “Thanks to our open records laws, you can find a treasure trove of information on the web—everything from details about publically traded companies to where stimulus funds are going. You can even submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests online. Take some time this week to educate yourself about the information and data… Continue Reading

    New GAO Reports – SaferProducts.gov, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Federal Courthouses Construction, TARP, WIC Program

    Consumer Product Safety Commission – Awareness, Use, and Usefulness of SaferProducts.gov, GAO-13-306, Mar 11, 2013 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – Current Outlook Is Improved, but Long-Term Affordability Is a Major Concern, GAO-13-309, Mar 11, 2013 Federal Courthouses Construction – Nationwide Space and Cost Overages Also Apply to Miami Project, GAO-13-461T, Mar 8, 2013 Troubled Asset… Continue Reading

    Essay – Broadening Denial Criteria for the Purchase and Possession of Firearms

    Wintemute, Garen J. Broadening Denial Criteria for the Purchase and Possession of Firearms. In: Webster W, Vernick J (eds). Reducing Gun Violence in America. The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2013. pp77-93. “This essay presents the findings of research relating to criminal activity among legal purchasers of firearms—those who have passed their background checks—and the evidence… Continue Reading

    March Is Women's History Month

    “One hundred years ago, suffragists marched on Washington to promote women’s rights. In recognition of the anniversary, the National Archives created a Pinterest board where you can view photos, letters, a cartoon, and other documents from that period. Visit WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn about generations of women who’ve contributed to American society.” Continue Reading

    Report – Delivering on Open Government: The Obama Administration's Unfinished Legacy

    “The Obama administration has dedicated more effort to strengthening government transparency than previous administrations. The president entered office offering a grand vision for more open and participatory government, and this administration used its first term to construct a policy foundation that can make that vision a reality, issuing an impressive number of directives, executive orders,… Continue Reading

    EU – Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed – RASFF Portal – online searchable database

    “RASFF notifications shown in the RASFF portal are so-called “original notifications”, representing a new case reported on a health risk detected in one or more consignments of a food or feed. On these cases, control authorities transmit follow-up notifications on measures taken and outcome of investigations. These follow-up notifications do not appear in the RASFF… Continue Reading