“The long-term outlook for the federal budget has worsened dramatically over the past several years, in the wake of the 2007–2009 recession and slow recovery. Between 2008 and 2012, financial turmoil and a severe drop in economic activity, combined with various policies implemented in response to those conditions, sharply reduced federal revenues and increased spending.… Continue Reading
“CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimate that, over the next decade, a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would probably increase budget deficits with or without considering the effects of macroeconomic feedback.” Continue Reading
This guide by Mother Jones has been updated numerous times to include information on recurring mass shooting that involved the murder of Americans in houses of worship, schools, work places, and public places. Please note, the majority of weapons used in these murders were purchased legally and ..”More than half of the cases involved school… Continue Reading
Kaiser – “In 2014, millions of people gained health insurance as the major coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were implemented. While much attention has been paid to enrollment in new coverage options and changes in the number of uninsured over the past year, less is known about how this coverage has affected… Continue Reading
Kuvíková, Gabriela, Credit Ratings and Their Information Value: Evidence from the Recent Financial Crisis (June 1, 2015). CERGE-EI Working Paper Series No. 544. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2619423 “This paper examines the accuracy and timeliness of credit ratings in explaining the financial health of debt issuers over the recent financial crisis. Using annual financial… Continue Reading
CRS – Cybersecurity Issues for the Bulk Power System, Richard J. Campbell, Specialist in Energy Policy. June 10, 2015. “In the United States, it is generally taken for granted that the electricity needed to power the U.S. economy is available on demand and will always be available to power our machines and devices. However, in… Continue Reading
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHS) report by Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D., and Arthur Hughes, M.S., May 18, 2015: “Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke causes more than 443,000 deaths every year, and another 8.6 million people suffer from a serious illness related to smoking. According to the Surgeon General, if current… Continue Reading
Via The Guardian – This is an extract from Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si – “The pope’s encyclical on climate change – on Thursday June 18, 2015 the Vatican published Pope Francis’s long-awaited encyclical on the environment, which warns of ‘serious consequences’ if the world does not act on climate change.”: “The… Continue Reading
Trial consultants allow the affluent to manipulate the biases of those who judge them, putting justice up for sale – Adam Benforado: “..As amazing as our minds actually are, our legal rules, regulations, interpretations, and instructions make them out to be many times as impressive. To hear the law tell it, we are supermen and… Continue Reading
“New research by NOAA, University of Alaska, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the journal Oceanography shows that surface waters of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas could reach levels of acidity that threaten the ability of animals to build and maintain their shells by 2030, with the Bering Sea reaching this level of acidity by 2044. “Our research shows… Continue Reading
“This study [June 2015 EBRI Issue Brief #415] reports the frequency and extent of intra-family cash transfers: both transfers from older households to their children and grandchildren, and vice versa. It also shows how these transfers are correlated with income levels and compares the asset and income levels of households that make such transfers and those… Continue Reading
“The CFPB received more than 3,100 private student loan complaints between October 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015, a 34% increase over the prior reporting period. The CFPB also received approximately 1,100 debt collection complaints related to student loans during this period. Many private student lenders advertise options to release a co-signer from a private… Continue Reading