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Monthly Archives: September 2013

Commentary – What Does the Zapruder Film Really Tell Us?

What Does the Zapruder Film Really Tell Us? Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris deconstructs the most famous 26 seconds in film history. Ron Rosenbaum – Smithsonian magazine, October 2013, “It’s been called the most important 26 seconds of film in history: The 486 frames of 8-millimeter Bell + Howell home movie footage shot in the midday sun of Dallas on November… Continue Reading

Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power

Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power. Kenneth R. Thomas, Legislative Attorney. September 23, 2013 “The lines of authority between states and the federal government are, to a significant extent, defined by the United States Constitution and relevant case law. In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has decided a… Continue Reading

Government Shutdown: Operations of DOD During a Lapse in Appropriations

Government Shutdown: Operations of the Department of Defense During a Lapse in Appropriations. Pat Towell, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget; Amy Belasco, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget. September 26, 2013 “Through most of the second half of FY2013, funding for the Department of Defense (DOD), as for most other federal agencies,… Continue Reading

TRAC: Decline in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Lawsuits

“Over the past five years the number of motor vehicle product liability lawsuits filed in federal courts has dropped nearly 40 percent, according to the latest available data from the federal courts. During August 2013 the government reported 17 new filings of this sort, down 10.5 percent from the previous month and 8 percent lower… Continue Reading

Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon

WaPo article by Michael E. Ruane: “The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon is a $106 million project designed to be the international center for Washington scholarship, with a trove of his personal books and manuscripts at its core. The enterprise aims to elevate Mount Vernon from a… Continue Reading

Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

CRS – Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Michelle D. Christensen, Analyst in Government Organization and Management; Frederick M. Kaiser, Visiting Scholar. September 9, 2013 “This report provides a primer on some of the fundamental aspects of the security clearance process, using a “Frequently Asked Questions” format. A security clearance is a determination… Continue Reading

FRASER digital library releases archival documents from early days of the Federal Reserve

“The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has released newly digitized archival material, making FRASER (Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research) the largest digital collection of Federal Reserve historical materials.  These documents offer a glimpse into the founding of the Fed and its policy making activities. In light of the Fed’s centennial, librarians and… Continue Reading

National Archives Issues Second Volume of President Obama’s Public Papers

“The National Archives announced today that the second volume of the “Public Papers of President Barack Obama” is now available for sale. Produced by the National Archives, Office of the Federal Register and the U.S. Government Printing Office, the 980-page volume includes a foreword by President Obama, along with the text of his public speeches,… Continue Reading

The evolution of the Basel Committee

The evolution of the Basel Committee – Keynote address by Stefan Ingves, Chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and Governor of Sveriges Riksbank, at a symposium to mark 25 years of the Basel Capital Accord: 25 years of international financial regulation: Challenges and opportunities, Basel, 26 September 2013 “But times change, the financial sector… Continue Reading

Results of the Basel III monitoring exercise as of 31 December 2012

“This report presents the results of the Basel Committee’s Basel III monitoring exercise. The study is based on the rigorous reporting processes set up by the Committee to periodically review the implications of the Basel III standards for financial markets. The results of previous exercises in this series were published in March 2013, September 2012… Continue Reading

Resource revolution: Tracking global commodity markets

McKinsey – Resource revolution: Tracking global commodity markets – Trends Survey 2013 “Trends in resource prices have changed abruptly and decisively since the turn of the century. During the 20th century, resource prices (in real terms) fell by a little over a half percent a year on average. But since 2000, average resource prices have… Continue Reading