News release: “The Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s July Fiscal Confidence Index, a monthly measure of public attitudes about the nation’s long-term debt and the efforts elected leaders are making to address America’s fiscal challenges, shows that Americans remain highly concerned about the nation’s fiscal situation. The Fiscal Confidence Index, modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index,… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: July 2014
Debt in America
Debt in America by Caroline Ratcliffe, Signe-Mary McKernan, Brett Theodos, Emma Kalish, Additional Authors. July 2014. “Debt can be constructive, allowing people to build equity in homes or finance education, but it can also burden families into the future. Total debt is driven by mortgage debt; both are highly concentrated in high-cost housing markets, mostly along the coasts. Among Americans… Continue Reading
Impact of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coral Communities Is Deeper and Broader than Predicted
“A new discovery of two additional coral communities showing signs of damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill expands the impact footprint of the 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The discovery was made by a team led by Charles Fisher, professor of biology at Penn State University. A paper describing this work and additional… Continue Reading
The New Face of Hunger in America
National Geographic: “Millions of working Americans don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We sent three photographers to explore hunger in three very different parts of the United States, each giving different faces to the same statistic: One-sixth of Americans don’t have enough food to eat…In the United States more than half of hungry households… Continue Reading
The Surge of Unaccompanied Children from Central America
The Surge of Unaccompanied Children from Central America – Root Causes and Policy Solutions, by Dan Restrepo and Ann Garcia | July 24, 2014 “Over the past few years, and in particular over the past few months, the number of children and families leaving the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and arriving in neighboring countries and at… Continue Reading
Free Exercise of Religion by Closely Held Corporations – CRS
Free Exercise of Religion by Closely Held Corporations: Implications of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Cynthia Brougher, Legislative Attorney. July 23, 2014 “One of the ongoing controversies related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the scope of exemption from certain health care coverage requirements, including the contraceptive coverage requirement. Though closely divided, the U.S. Supreme Court’s… Continue Reading
How Large-Scale US Surveillance is Harming Journalism, Law and American Democracy
With Liberty to Monitor All – How Large-Scale US Surveillance is Harming Journalism, Law, and American Democracy. Human Rights Watch / ACLU, July 2014. “The United States government today is implementing a wide variety of surveillance programs that, thanks to developments in its technological capacity, allow it to scoop up personal information and the content of… Continue Reading
Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States
Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States. David J. Nowak, Satoshi Hirabayashi, Allison Bodine, Eric Greenfield. Environmental Pollution, October 2014. “Trees remove air pollution by the interception of particulate matter on plant surfaces and the absorption of gaseous pollutants through the leaf stomata. However, the magnitude and value of the effects of trees and… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – CFPB, Drinking Water, Media Ownership, Railroad Retirement, Security Clearances
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU: Opportunity Exists to Improve Transparency of Civil Penalty Fund Activities, GAO-14-551: Published: Jun 26, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014. DRINKING WATER: EPA Program to Protect Underground Sources from Injection of Fluids Associated with Oil and Gas Production Needs Improvement, GAO-14-555: Published: Jun 27, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014. MEDIA OWNERSHIP: FCC Should Review the Effects of… Continue Reading
FTC Recommends Mobile Industry Changes to Combat Mobile Cramming
News release: “In a report issued today, the Federal Trade Commission staff recommends steps that mobile carriers and other companies should take to prevent consumers from being stuck with unauthorized charges on their mobile phone bills, an unlawful practice known as mobile cramming. The report focuses on the multi-billion dollar business known as carrier billing, which… Continue Reading
The hallowed ground of World War I, then and now – WaPo
“Today marks 100 years since the start of WW I. On July 28, 1914, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria the month before, thrusting the world into a war unlike any seen before. It would rage on until November 1918, killing more than 5 million troops… Continue Reading
Social Security Board of Trustees: No Change in Projected Year of Trust Fund Reserve Depletion
“The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2033, unchanged from last year, with 77 percent of benefits still payable… Continue Reading
