Monthly archives: March, 2013

FTC Staff Report Examines Growing Use of Mobile Payments Report Includes Recommendations for Industry

News release: “As part of its efforts to ensure that consumers are protected in the growing mobile marketplace, the Federal Trade Commission issued a staff report today highlighting key issues facing consumers and companies as they adopt mobile payment services. The report, titled Paper, Plastic… or Mobile? An FTC Workshop on Mobile Payments, is based …

Subjects: E-Commerce

VA Review of Alleged Transmission of Sensitive VA Data Over Internet Connections

VA Office of Inspector General, Office of Audits and Evaluations – Review of Alleged Transmission of Sensitive VA Data Over Internet Connections, March 6, 2013 “We substantiated the allegation that VA was transmitting sensitive data, including PII and internal network routing information, over an unencrypted telecommunications carrier network. Office of Information and Technology (OIT) personnel …

Subjects: E-Records, Government Documents, Privacy

Working Paper – Information Flows in Dark Markets: Dissecting Customer Currency Trades

Information Flows in Dark Markets: Dissecting Customer Currency Trades, by Lukas Menkhoff, Lucio Sarno, Maik Schmeling and Andreas Schrimpf. Working Papers No 405, March 2013. Bank for International Settlements “We study the information in order flows of different customer segments in the world’s largest over-the-counter market, the foreign exchange market. The analysis draws on a …

Subjects: Government Documents

From Dirty to Green: Increasing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Environmental Justice Communities

From Dirty to Green: Increasing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Environmental Justice Communities, Deborah Behles, Golden Gate University School of Law, 2013. Villanova Law Review, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2013. Available at SSRN “The stifling summer heat that raged across the nation was difficult for everyone, but one group had a more difficult time …

Subjects: Legal Research

CRS Reports remain out of public domain – new legislation seeks wider access

Sunlight Foundation Blog, by Matthew Rumsey: March 7, 2013, “Representatives Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) reintroduced legislation that will make it easier for the public, the media, and government employees to better understand the important policy matters facing Congress. The bipartisan “Public Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Resolution of 2013” would ensure …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

BLS – February payroll employment rises (+236,000); unemployment rate edges down (7.7%)

New release: “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 236,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged down to 7.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in professional and business services, construction, and health care. Household Survey Data: The unemployment rate edged down to 7.7 percent in February but has shown …

Subjects: Government Documents

New GAO Reports – Cybersecurity, Defense Technology Development, National Defense, Food Assistance

Cybersecurity – A Better Defined and Implemented National Strategy Is Needed to Address Persistent Challenges, GAO-13-462T, Mar 7, 2013 Defense Technology Development – Technology Transition Programs Support Military Users, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Measurement of Outcomes, GAO-13-286, Mar 7, 2012 National Defense – Department of Defense’s Waiver of Competitive Prototyping Requirement for Combat Rescue …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Government Documents

Federal Reserve releases summary results of bank stress tests

“The Dodd-Frank Act Stress Tests are a set of forward-looking exercises conducted both by the Federal Reserve and by financial companies regulated by the Federal Reserve. The stress tests were mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and are intended to ensure institutions have sufficient capital to absorb losses and support …

Subjects: Government Documents

CRS – Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2013

Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2013. Valerie Heitshusen – Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process. March 4, 2013 “This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical data, including service dates, party affiliation, and other information for each. Tables …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents

CRS – Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

Follow up to previous posting on Keystone XL Pipeline Application, this new CRS report – Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline: Background and Selected Environmental Issues, February 21, 2013. “If constructed, the Keystone XL pipeline would transport crude oil (e.g., synthetic crude oil or diluted bitumen) derived from oil sands in Alberta, Canada to …

Subjects: Government Documents