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Daily Archives: October 23, 2015

Creating a Federal Advisory Committee in the Executive Branch

Creating a Federal Advisory Committee in the Executive Branch, Wendy Ginsberg, Analyst in American National Government. October 19, 2015

“Federal advisory committees allow members of the public to formally provide advice and recommendations to the executive branch of the federal government. These advisory committees, of which about 1,000 operate at any given time, provide advice and recommendations on issues ranging from how to support trade goals of small and minority-owned businesses to which drugs best treat arthritis pain. Many federal advisory committees are required to operate pursuant to the open meetings and records access requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Advisory committees are established for a number of reasons, including to acquire new ideas from outside experts, remove certain controversial topics from politically charged arenas, and to help reduce the workload of Members of Congress. Congress has an important role in the establishment of federal advisory committees. Of the active federal advisory committees in FY2014, 705 (71.3%) were required or authorized by Congress — 515 (52.1%) of which were required by statute while 190 (19.2%) were authorized, but not required, by statute. Other federal advisory committees were established by executive branch agencies or the President. A committee’s establishment and mandate, membership requirements, powers, funding, and termination are some of the many components that Congress may consider when establishing an advisory committee. This report provides a brief overview on how Congress can establish federal advisory committees, and provides some considerations as to why a federal advisory committee may or may not be an appropriate mechanism for a particular policy or funding question. It presents data on the number of active committees established by Congress with special emphasis on the committees established in FY2014. This report concludes by presenting a list of the federal advisory committees currently proposed for establishment in legislation in the 114th Congress.”

GAO Reports – Medicaid, Medicaid and Insurance Exchanges, NIH

Medicaid: Additional Efforts Needed to Ensure that State Spending is Appropriately Matched with Federal Funds, GAO-16-53: Published: Oct 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Oct 23, 2015. Medicaid and Insurance Exchanges: Additional Federal Controls Needed to Minimize Potential for Gaps and Duplication in Coverage, GAO-16-73: Published: Oct 9, 2015. Publicly Released: Oct 23, 2015. National Institutes of… Continue Reading

Study – which foods may be addictive and why

Which foods may be addictive? The roles of processing, fat content, and glycemic load. PLoS One. 2015; 10(2): e0117959. Published online 2015 Feb 18. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.011795 “We propose that highly processed foods share pharmacokinetic properties (e.g. concentrated dose, rapid rate of absorption) with drugs of abuse, due to the addition of fat and/or refined carbohydrates… Continue Reading

View all the Web and App Activities You Conduct Using Google

TechInsider: “The tech giant collects various user data including search history, location, and voice searches to help improve its services and provide relevant ads. However, some users might be surprised to know they can easily take a look at all of the data Google has on them…To view this information, go to “My Account” then… Continue Reading

JSTOR Daily – free online magazine

“JSTOR Daily offers a fresh way for people to understand and contextualize their world. Our writers provide insight, commentary, and analysis of ideas, research, and current events, tapping into the rich scholarship on JSTOR, a digital library of more than 2,000 academic journals, dating back to the first volume ever published, along with thousands of monographs,… Continue Reading