Monthly archives: April, 2015

Brookings Essay – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Terrorists

The Big Snoop – The divergent views of four respected experts help frame the debate over the future of the NSA in the Snowden Era – Stuart Taylor, Jr.:  “With the approach of the first anniversary of the most copious and sensational leakage of intelligence secrets in history, the consequences of his actions continue to …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Defense, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

EFF – Automakers Say You Don’t Really Own Your Car

News release: “EFF is fighting for vehicle owners’ rights to inspect the code that runs their vehicles and to repair and modify their vehicles, or have a mechanic of their choice do the work. At the moment, the anti-circumvention prohibition in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act arguably restricts vehicle inspection, repair, and modification. If EFF …

Subjects: Copyright, Digital Rights, Intellectual Property, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy, Transportation

Discussion of “Systemic Risk and the Solvency-Liquidity Nexus of Banks”

Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Discussion of “Systemic Risk and the  Solvency-Liquidity Nexus of Banks” April 2015   Number 722  Tobias Adrian “Pierret (2015) presents empirical analysis of the solvency-liquidity nexus for the banking system, documenting that a shock to the level of banks’ solvency risk is followed by lower short-term debt. Conversely, higher short-term …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

DARPA – Breakthrough Technologies for National Security

Breakthrough Technologies for National Security: “For more than fifty years, DARPA [Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] has held to a singular and enduring mission: To make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. The genesis of that mission and of DARPA itself dates to the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and a commitment by …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents

The Impact of Tight Credit Standards on 2009-13 Lending

Urban Institute – The Impact of Tight Credit Standards on 2009-13 Lending. Laurie Goodman, Jun Zhu, Taz George. April 2015. “Tight credit standards curbed mortgage lending activity from 2009 to 2013. Based on our estimates, if the cautious standards of 2001 had been in place rather than the more severe standards that were in place over these …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Housing

New GAO Reports – Federal Chief Information Officers, Homeland Security

Federal Chief Information Officers: Reporting to OMB Can Be Improved by Further Streamlining and Better Focusing on Priorities, GAO-15-106: Published: Apr 2, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 2, 2015: “Federal agencies annually invest over $80 billion on IT. As part of overseeing this spending, OMB directs federal CIOs to report on their management of IT in …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management

CRS – Cyberwarfare and Cyberterrorism

Cyberwarfare and Cyberterrorism: In Brief, Catherine A. Theohary, Specialist in National Security, Policy and Information Operations. John W. Rollins, Specialist in Terrorism and National Security. March 27, 2015. “Recent incidents have highlighted the lack of consensus internationally on what defines a cyberattack, an act of war in cyberspace, or cyberterrorism. Cyberwar is typically conceptualized as …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Patriot Act, PC Security, Privacy

The United Kingdom: Background and Relations with the United States

CRS – The United Kingdom: Background and Relations with the United States, Derek E. Mix, Analyst in European Affairs. March 27, 2015. “Many U.S. officials and Members of Congress view the United Kingdom (UK) as the United States’ closest and most reliable ally. This perception stems from a combination of factors, including a sense of …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents