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Daily Archives: September 19, 2013

Report Ranks U.S. Cities’ Efforts to Save Energy

News release: “The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today released the 2013 City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, a report that ranks 34 of the most populous U.S. cities on policies to advance energy efficiency. The report includes recommendations and strategies for all cities to lower energy use. ACEEE also launched a new interactive infographic accompanying the report that highlights each city’s best practices and scores. Boston took top honors, doing the most to save energy. Other top-scoring cities include Portland, Ore., New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin. The next tier of top-scoring cities (Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver) have also developed efficiency initiatives and are poised to rise in the rankings in future years.”

Income, Poverty, Health Insurance Statistics for States and Local Areas

“Income levels and poverty rates were not statistically different for most states and metro areas from 2011 to 2012, according to statistics released today from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Incomes remained lower and poverty rates were higher in 2012 than in 2007, the year before the recession. The percentage of people without… Continue Reading

FSOC Identifies Prudential As Non-Bank SIFI

“Prudential Financial, Inc.  confirmed today that it has been notified by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) that the company has been designated a systemically important financial institution by a final vote. Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Prudential has 30 days to consider its response to FSOC’s determination.” American Banker… Continue Reading

CFPB – Financial empowerment training for social service programs

“We recognize that social service agencies are a trusted resource for some consumers. Through our research and outreach, we have learned that case managers and frontline staff at social service agencies do not always have the knowledge, skills, and tools to support their clients in improving their financial lives. As a result, we took on… Continue Reading

Presentation – Shifts in Scholarly Attention Among World Regions

Via OCLC – “Dr. Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, presented Shifts in Scholarly Communications Among World Regions at the OCLC Research Briefing at UNC Chapel Hill on 7 June 2013.  At this event, Dr. Kurzman presented his research on changing academic attention to world regions over the past 50… Continue Reading

Environmental Concerns on the Rise in China

Pew survey – Many Also Worried about Inflation, Inequality, Corruption – September 19, 2013 “The Chinese public is increasingly concerned about the quality of the country’s air and water after a year in which China experienced numerous high-profile environmental problems. Meanwhile, even though most Chinese have rated their national economic situation positively in recent years,… Continue Reading

Pew: Mobile Cell Phone Activities 2013

Report: Mobile Cell Phone Activities 2013 by Maeve Duggan. September 19, 2013 “Fully 91% of American adults own a cell phone and many use the devices for much more than phone calls. In our most recent nationally representative survey, we checked in on some of the most popular activities people perform on their cell phones… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Climate Change, Environmental Satellites, Geostationary Weather Satellites, Homeland Security, Polar Weather Satellites

Climate Change – State Should Further Improve Its Reporting on Financial Support to Developing Countries to Meet Future Requirements and Guidelines, GAO-13-829, Sep 19, 2013 Environmental Satellites – Focused Attention Needed to Improve Mitigation Strategies for Satellite Coverage Gaps, GAO-13-865T, Sep 19, 2013 Geostationary Weather Satellites – Progress Made, but Weaknesses in Scheduling, Contingency Planning,… Continue Reading

Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and America’s Families

Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and America’s Families. Shawn McMahon, Jessica Horning – Fall 2013 “Forty-five percent of US residents live in households that lack economic security. Thirty-nine percent of all adults and 55% of all children live in households that lack economic security incomes. Between 2007 and 2011, the overall economic  insecurity rate rose from 38% to 45%. The… Continue Reading