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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Labor-force Participation Rates of the Population Ages 55 and Older, 2013

“The labor-force participation rate for those ages 55 and older rose throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, when it began to level off but with a small increase following the 2007–2008 economic downturn. For those ages 55–64, the upward trend was driven almost exclusively by the increased labor-force participation of women, whereas the male… Continue Reading

The Virtues of Private Securities Litigation: An Historic and Macroeconomic Perspective

Ramirez, Steven A., The Virtues of Private Securities Litigation: An Historic and Macroeconomic Perspective (April 18, 2014). Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2014. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2426661 “In the wake of the Great Depression, the federal securities laws operated to mandate disclosure of material facts to investors and extend broad private remedies… Continue Reading

What happens to the internet after the U.S. hands off ICANN to others?

Pew Research Center, Lee Raine: “It is important to remember that no one, no government and no organization “controls the internet.”  ICANN is a crucial cog in the functioning of the internet because computers (and the people who use them) cannot find each other on the internet without Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. ICANN oversees how those addresses… Continue Reading

Eleven states generated electricity from nonhydro renewables at double U.S. average

EIA: “About 6.2% of total U.S. electricity supplies in 2013 were generated from nonhydro renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, up from 5.4% in 2012. But 11 states produced electricity at more than twice the national average from these sources—accounting for between 14% and 32% of their net electric generation—according to… Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions on Basel III’s January 2013 Liquidity Coverage Ratio

“The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision today issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Basel III’s liquidity coverage ratio (LCR). To promote consistent global implementation of those requirements, the Committee has agreed to periodically review frequently asked questions and publish answers along with any technical elaboration of the rules text and interpretative guidance that may be necessary. The Committee… Continue Reading

Earth Month Tip: Clean the area around the outdoor components of your HVAC system

“Did you know as much as half of your household energy use goes to heating and cooling? Airflow problems can reduce your HVAC system’s efficiency by up to 15% and contribute to carbon pollution. In fact, dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure. Check out EPA’s A Guide to… Continue Reading

Institutions for Macroprudential Regulation: The UK and the U.S.

Donald Kohn, Brookings – Institutions for Macroprudential Regulation: The UK and the U.S. – “The U.S. and the world economy still haven’t fully recovered from the global financial crisis that provoked the worst recession since the Great Depression. Nonetheless, a lot of effort already has gone into reducing the risk that we put the world through something… Continue Reading

Digital Public Library of America Celebrates Its First Birthday

“This week marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Digital Public Library of America, a groundbreaking all-digital library that brings together millions of items from America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. In celebration, DPLA is proud to announce the addition of six major new partners and… Continue Reading

World Bank – Systems Approach for Better Education Results

“The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) is an initiative to produce comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems. SABER evaluates the quality of education policies against evidence-based global standards, using new diagnostic tools and detailed policy data collected for the… Continue Reading

First-ever public domain database for submitting emails to members of Congress launched

“EFF and Sunlight Foundation published an open call for help testing a tool and populating an open data format that would make it easier for everyday people to contact members of Congress. We already had a prototype, but we needed volunteers to conduct tests on each and every Congressional website. We expected the project would take about two… Continue Reading

Why Is the Effective Fed Funds Rate So Low?

Allen, Kyle D. and Griffiths, Mark D. and Hein, Scott E. and Winters, Drew B., Why Is the Effective Fed Funds Rate So Low? (April 16, 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2425913 “Since December 18, 2008 when the Federal Reserve began paying 25 basis points (bps) on depository institution’s reserves, the effective federal funds rate has stayed… Continue Reading