Jeffrey T. Richelson: “A central element of the current debate over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program has focused on the possible difficulty of destroying the Qom underground uranium enrichment facility via air strikes. However, documents posted today by the National Security Archive show that Qom is only the latest in a long series… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
FHFA's Oversight of Fannie Maes Single-Family Underwriting Standards
FHFAs Oversight of Fannie Maes Single-Family Underwriting Standards, Audit Report: AUD-2012-003, March 22, 2012 “Although FHFA has taken steps to ensure that the mortgages that the Enterprises purchase conform to underwriting standards, the Agencys oversight of underwriting is limited. FHFA informally reviews Fannie Maes proposed credit policy changes, which may or may not affect underwriting… Continue Reading
DHS Privacy Office Limited Time Release of Privacy Impact Assessments
“Between December 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012 the Chief Privacy Officer of the DHS approved and published eleven Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) on the DHS Privacy Office Web site, under the link for Privacy Impact Assessments. These PIAs cover eleven separate DHS programs. Below is a short summary of those programs, indicating the DHS… Continue Reading
MIT – Researchers show that memories reside in specific brain cells
Cathryn Delude, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory: “Our fond or fearful memories that first kiss or a bump in the night leave memory traces that we may conjure up in the remembrance of things past, complete with time, place and all the sensations of the experience. Neuroscientists call these traces memory engrams.… Continue Reading
Major ISPs agree to implement wider measures to fight internet crimes
Computerworld: “A group of U.S. Internet service providers, including the four largest, have committed to taking new steps to combat three major cybersecurity threats, based on recommendations from a U.S. Federal Communications Commission advisory committee. The ISPs, including AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon Communications, committed Thursday to implement measures to fight botnets, domain… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – DHS, Army Audit Readiness, Motor Carrier Safety, Pipeline Safety, IRS
Department of Homeland Security Preliminary Observations on DHS’s Efforts to Improve Employee Morale, GAO-12-509T, Mar 22, 2012 DOD Financial Management – The Army Faces Significant Challenges in Achieving Audit Readiness for Its Military Pay, GAO-12-406, Mar 22, 2012 DOD Financial Management – The Army Faces Significant Challenges in Achieving Audit Readiness for Its Military Pay,… Continue Reading
Resources on Tracking Price of Gasoline
Via Bill Lucey: Energy Tomorrow (API) Service Station FAQs AAAs Daily Fuel Gauge Report Real Time Retail Fuel Prices: Oil Price Information Services (OPIS) Gasoline Taxes by Individual States (API) Continue Reading
Crisis Standards of Care: A Systems Framework for Catastrophic Disaster Response
“In 2011 alone, a tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, and earthquakes rocked New Zealand and Japan, underscoring how quickly and completely health systems can be overwhelmed. Disasters can stress health care systems to the breaking point and disrupt delivery of vital medical services. At the request of the HHS, the IOM [Institute of Medicine] formed a… Continue Reading
2010 Census Shows Asians are Fastest-Growing Race Group
News release: “The U.S. Census Bureau today released a 2010 Census brief, The Asian Population: 2010 [PDF], that shows the Asian population grew faster than any other race group over the last decade. The population that identified as Asian, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, grew by 45.6 percent from… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Corporation for Travel Promotion, Debt Management, Defense Headquarters, Economic Development, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness
Corporation for Travel Promotion – Establishment and Planned Programmatic Activities, GAO-12-485R, Mar 21, 2012 Debt Management – Buybacks Can Enhance Treasury’s Capacity to Manage under Changing Market Conditions [Reissued on March 21, 2012], GAO-12-314, Mar 7, 2012 Defense Headquarters – Further Efforts to Examine Resource Needs and Improve Data Could Provide Additional Opportunities for Cost… Continue Reading
January Indexes of Coincident Economic Indicators (CEIs) for New York State, New York City, and New Jersey
Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Jason Bram and James Orr “The January Indexes of Coincident Economic Indicators (CEIs) for New York State, New York City, and New Jersey, released today, show fairly robust economic growth entering 2012. Importantly, this months release incorporates the annual benchmark employment revisions for 2010 and 2011, with the… Continue Reading
Firefox enables HTTPS safe searching as default setting
Follow up to New ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ Version Warns Users About Web Security Holes see the following from privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian – Firefox switching to HTTPS Google search by default (and the end of referrer leakage). “A few days ago, Mozilla’s developers quietly enabled Google’s HTTPS encrypted search as the default search service for the… Continue Reading
