Monthly archives: November, 2013

Effects of Policy Guidance on Perceptions of Fed’s Reaction Function

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports – The Effects of Policy Guidance on Perceptions of the Fed’s Reaction Function. Katherine Femia, Steven Friedman, Brian Sack. Staff Report No. 652. November 2013. “In the past few years, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has been using forward guidance about the federal funds rate in …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

Report – Understanding Innovation Funds, Impact Bonds, and Impact Investing

Social Finance: A Primer Understanding Innovation Funds, Impact Bonds, and Impact Investing By Sonal Shah and Kristina Costa | November 5, 2013 [snipped] “In recent years, a growing number of philanthropic foundations, policymakers, social service providers, and researchers have come to recognize that the social sector is changing. Shrinking public-sector budgets have limited traditional government grant programs. An increasing number …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care

U.S. v. S.A.C. Capital Advisors, SDNY

“As described below, this Indictment charges the corporate entities responsible for the management of a major hedge fund with criminal responsibility for insider trading offenses committed by numerous employees and made possible by institutional practices that encouraged the widespread solicitation and use of illegal inside information. Unlawful conduct by individual employees and an institutional indifference …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) On Available-For-Sale Securities

Graph: Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) On Available-For-Sale Securities, Large Domestically Chartered Commercial Banks (NUGLCBW027SBOG) – FRED Economic Data – Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Also via FRED at the same link as above – create faceted charts by defining respective parameters – Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) On Available-For-Sale Securities, Large Domestically Chartered Commercial Banks …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

CRS – Multiyear Procurement and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress, October 29, 2013 “Multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC) are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents

OECD report measures human cost of crisis

How’s Life? [November 5, 2013] “finds that subjective well-being deteriorated in countries most affected by the crisis. Between 2007 and 2012, reported average life satisfaction declined by more than 20% in Greece, 12% in Spain, and 10% in Italy. However, moderate increases were recorded in Germany, Israel, Russia, Mexico and Sweden. The report also finds that citizens in …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Economy, Education, Energy, Free Speech, Government Documents, Health Care

CRS – Unemployment Insurance: Consequences of Changes in State Unemployment Laws

Unemployment Insurance: Consequences of Changes in State Unemployment Compensation Laws – Katelin P. Isaacs, Analyst in Income Security, October 30, 2013 “This report analyzes several types of recent changes to state Unemployment Compensation (UC) programs. Three categories of UC state law issues are considered: (1) changes in the duration of state UC unemployment benefits; (2) …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Report – The evolving value of information management

The evolving value of information management – And the five essential attributes of the modern information professional. “This report is the result of a research study commissioned by both the Financial Times and the Special Libraries Association (SLA), to explore the evolving value of information management in today’s society. Reflecting the opinions of both information …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Apple Reports to Customers on Government Information Requests

Report on Government Information Requests:  “We believe that our customers have a right to understand how their personal information is handled, and we consider it our responsibility to provide them with the best privacy protections available. Apple has prepared this report on  the requests we receive from governments seeking information about individual users or devices in the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, E-Mail, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Patriot Act, Privacy

Intelligence Briefings of Presidential Candidates, 1952-2004

“Getting To Know the President by John Helgerson describes the important process of information sharing between the Intelligence Community and the chief executive. First published in 1996 and now revised and updated to include accounts of intelligence support to candidates and presidents-elect in the three elections between then and 2004, Helgerson’s study provides unique insights …

Subjects: Government Documents, Knowledge Management