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Daily Archives: December 2, 2015

Media reports on How Often Do Mass Shootings Occur? On Average, Every Day, Records Show

How Often Do Mass Shootings Occur? On Average, Every Day, Records Show By SHARON LaFRANIERE, SARAH COHEN and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. “That is how often, on average, shootings that left four or more people injured or dead occurred in the United States this year, according to compilations of episodes derived from news reports.”

EFF – Google’s Student Tracking Isn’t Limited to Chrome Sync

“Many media reports on (as well as at least one response to) the FTC complaint we submitted yesterday about Google’s violation of the Student Privacy Pledge have focused heavily on one issue—Google’s use of Chrome Sync data for non-educational purposes. This is an important part of our complaint, but we want to clarify that Google… Continue Reading

Beige Book: Job Market Remains Tight as Regional Economy Slows

“The New York Fed’s latest Beige Book report indicates that regional economic growth slowed in October and early November, while the job market stayed strong and prices remained stable. This latest report, based on information collected through November 20, suggests that economic activity in the Second District has leveled off since the end of the… Continue Reading

Annual Assessment of IRS Information Technology Program

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Annual Assessment of the Internal Revenue Service Information Technology Program, September 30, 2015. Reference Number: 2015-20-094 “For FY 2015, TIGTA designated Security for Taxpayer Data and Employees as the IRS’s number one management and performance challenge for the fifth consecutive year. The IRS faces the daunting task of securing… Continue Reading

2015 annual report from the CFPB Ombudsman’s Office

“The CFPB Ombudsman’s Office is an independent, impartial, and confidential resource that assists consumers and companies in informally resolving issues with the CFPB. This report summarizes our activities in fiscal year 2015. The report includes a description of how our office works in practice with a new flowchart of when to contact us and what… Continue Reading

BEA – Personal Consumption Expenditures by State, 1997-2014

“Today, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its first set of official statistics on personal consumption expenditures (PCE) by state for 1997-2014. PCE by state – the measure of goods and services purchased by or on behalf of households by state of residence – provides insight into household spending patterns across states and can… Continue Reading

GAO Reports – Asylum, Centers of Excellence, Information Technology and the Library of Congress, Office of National Drug Control Policy

Asylum: Additional Actions Needed to Assess and Address Fraud Risks, GAO-16-50: Published: Dec 2, 2015. Publicly Released: Dec 2, 2015: “The total number of asylum applications, including both principal applicants and their eligible dependents, filed in fiscal year 2014 (108,152) is more than double the number filed in fiscal year 2010 (47,118).” Centers of Excellence:… Continue Reading

Replacing Military Personnel in Support Positions With Civilian Employees

CBO Report – “Only military personnel engage in combat operations, according to U.S. government policies. However, either military personnel, civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DoD), or contractors may carry out support functions, such as accounting services. In 2012, about 340,000 active-duty military personnel were assigned to commercial positions that perform support functions. Those… Continue Reading