Green Building and Development as a Public Good
Source: Canadian Policy Research Networks
Governments in Canada are attempting to respond to the challenge of global warming and to the expectation Canadians hold for a healthy economy and enhanced quality of life. Actions include energy conservation, the introduction of a carbon tax (British Columbia) and the possibility of carbon cap and trade legislation (or agreements among some provinces). An area of increasing attention is how we develop communities and build and use residential and commercial buildings.
In Green Building and Development as a Public Good, Mike Buzzelli argues that green building and development faces a classic policy paradox: we collectively agree that improvements are needed in the built environment but we are caught in a whirlwind of information and debate about how to move forward. We are motivated to “be green” but challenged by implementation.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 89 KB)
Child Care Subsidies and Childhood Obesity (PDF; 222 KB)
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor
Child care subsidies play a critical role in facilitating the transition of disadvantaged mothers from welfare to work. However, little is known about the influence of these policies on children’s health and well-being. In this paper, we study the impact of subsidy receipt on low-income children’s weight outcomes in the fall and spring of kindergarten. The goals of our empirical analysis are twofold. We first utilize standard OLS and fixed effects methods to explore body mass index as well as measures of overweight and obesity. We then turn to quantile regression to address the possibility that subsidy receipt has heterogeneous effects on children’s weight at different points in the BMI distribution. Results suggest that subsidy receipt is associated with increases in BMI and a greater likelihood of being overweight and obese. We also find substantial variation in subsidy effects across the BMI distribution. In particular, child care subsidies have no effect on BMI at the lower end of the distribution, inconsistent effects in the middle of the distribution, and large effects at the top of the distribution. Our results point to the use of non-parental child care, particularly center-based services, as the key mechanism through which subsidies influence children’s weight outcomes.
Ofwat Price Review 2009
Source: House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
From the Introduction:
The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the water industry’s economic regulator for England and Wales. Every five years, Ofwat sets limits on the prices the water companies can charge their customers. The 2009 price review (PR 09), which will set price limits for customers’ bills for each year between 2010 and 2015, is the fourth price review since privatisation of the water industry in 1989.
Most people in this country take a constant and unlimited supply of clean, affordable water for granted. In 2008-09, the average water and sewerage bill was £331—£700 less than the average energy bill. What may not be apparent to the average customer is that only a third of their bill pays for the operating costs of supplying drinking water and removing waste water—the remaining two thirds of their bill covers: return to debt and equity investors (30%); capital charges (charges for depreciation and infrastructure renewal) (28%); and business taxes (6%).
PR 09 has four phases; Phase 1 began in March 2007, when Ofwat began consultation with water companies and other stakeholders. The price review is currently in its third phase, which concludes in November 2009 when Ofwat publishes its final determinations of price limits
+ Direct link to Volume 1 (PDF; 1.6 MB)
+ Direct link to Volume 2 (PDF; 1.2 MB)
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory (PHA) warning consumers to stop using body building products that are represented as containing steroids or steroid-like substances. Many of these products are marketed as dietary supplements.
The agency also issued a Warning Letter to American Cellular Laboratories Inc. for marketing and distributing body building products containing synthetic steroid substances. Although these products are marketed as dietary supplements, they are not dietary supplements, but instead are unapproved and misbranded drugs.
The PHA notifies consumers and health care professionals that the FDA has received reports of serious adverse events associated with the use of body building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances. Those adverse events include cases of serious liver injury, stroke, kidney failure and pulmonary embolism (artery blockage in the lung). The PHA also advises consumers to stop taking body building products from any manufacturer that claim to contain steroid-like substances or to enhance or diminish androgen-, estrogen-, or progestin-like effects in the body.
The FDA has received five adverse event reports, including serious liver injury, in men taking products marketed as dietary supplements by American Cellular Laboratories including TREN-Xtreme and MASS Xtreme. Acute liver injury is generally known to be a possible side effect of using products that contain anabolic steroids. Some of the cases resulted in hospitalization, but there were no reports of death or acute liver failure.
+ Public Health Advisory: The FDA recommends that consumers should not use body building products marketed as containing steroids or steroid-like substances
+ Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
Updated CDC Travel Health Book Released
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The 2010 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Yellow Book includes new or expanded sections on medical tourism, traveling safely with chronic diseases and conditions, and expert perspectives on popular travel itineraries worldwide. The updated book, which is a definitive guide for healthy international travel, is now available online.
Nicknamed for its yellow cover, the health guide updated every two years is officially titled CDC Health Information for International Travel. The resource provides travel health recommendations and other features that help international travelers prepare for trips and stay healthy while abroad.
New GAO Reports, Correspondence and Testimonies (PDFs:)
Source: Government Accountability Office
29 July 2009
+ Reports
1. Small Business Administration: Additional Steps Should Be Taken to Address Reforms to the Disaster Loan Program and Improve the Application Process for Future Disasters
2. Career and Technical Education: States Have Broad Flexibility in Implementing Perkins IV
Related Product — Career and Technical Education: Surveys to State Directors of Career and Technical Education
3. English Language Learning: Diverse Federal and State Efforts to Support Adult English Language Learning Could Benefit from More Coordination
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+ Correspondence
1. U.S.-Russia Nuclear Agreement: Interagency Process Used to Develop the Classified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Needs to Be Strengthened
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+ Testimonies
1. Influenza Pandemic: Gaps in Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Need to Be Addressed, by Bernice Steinhardt, director, strategic issues, before the House Committee on Homeland Security
2. Small Business Administration: Additional Steps Should Be Taken to Address Reforms to the Disaster Loan Program and Improve the Application Process for Future Disasters, by William B. Shear, director, financial markets and community investment, before the House Committee on Small Business
3. Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Preliminary Findings on Claims Processing Trends and Improvement Efforts, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Mick or Keith: Blended Identity of Online Rock Fans
Source: Identity in the Information Society, Social Identity on the Web
This paper discusses the “blended identity” of online rock fans to show that the standard dichotomy between anonymous and real life personas is an inadequate description of self-presentation in online communities. Using data from an ethnographic, exploratory study of an online community and comparison groups including interviews, an online questionnaire, fan discussion boards, and participant/observation, the research analyzes fan identity online and then offline. Rolling Stones fans often adopt names that illustrate their allegiance to the band, along with avatars. Issues of gender and the technological change of software platform also affect types of online self-presentations and their construction. Fans engage in “role embracement”, merging their individual selves with the role of Stones fans, demonstrated by reactions of friends and family. Connections between offline and online settings occur, with band affiliation of fans expressed through choice of apparel offline, and usernames from online filtering into the offline interactions among fans.
Show Us the Stimulus: An Evaluation of State Government Recovery Act Websites
Source: Good Jobs First
In this report, released in July 2009, Good Jobs First evaluates the websites created by state governments to highlight their role in the implementation of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The appendices below provide details on how we derived our scores for each state.
Withdrawing from Iraq: Alternative Schedules, Associated Risks, and Mitigating Strategies
Source: RAND Corporation
Since 2007, security has improved dramatically in Iraq. The U.S. and Iraqi governments — and most Iraqis — want to see both the U.S. presence there reduced and the Iraqi government and security forces assuming a greater role in providing for public security. The challenge is to effect this drawdown while preserving security and stability in the country and in the region.
In response to tasking from the U.S. Congress, RAND researchers conducted an independent study to examine drawdown schedules, risks, and mitigating strategies. They identified logistical constraints on moving equipment out of the country, assessed trends in insurgent activity and the ability of Iraqi security forces to counter it, and examined the implications for the size of the residual U.S. force and for security in Iraq and the region. This report presents alternative drawdown schedules — one consistent with the Obama administration’s stated intentions and two others, one somewhat slower and another faster — that are responsive to these factors. It also recommends steps that the United States can take to alleviate anticipated constraints, overcome likely resistance, and reduce the potential risks associated with a drawdown.
The Geopolitical Consequences of the World Economic Recession — A Caution
Source: RAND Corporation
Will the global economic downturn of 2009 have long-term geopolitical implications? That is, will the recession lead to lasting structural changes in the international system? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting geopolitical changes are unlikely. There is little empirical evidence, for example, that the United States will not remain the dominant global power for decades to come, that U.S.-China relations will be much different five years from now than they are today, or that deteriorating economic conditions will cause substantial changes in the way the governments of Russia, Japan, or India see the world. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries’ strategic intent and core external policies, and most of these other elements change only over the very long term.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 167 KB)
Is Personal Insecurity a Cause of Cross-National Differences in the Intensity of Religious Belief?
Source: Journal of Religion and Society
This analysis shows that, across a broad multinational panel, those countries with shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher violent crime, more corruption, higher abortion rates, and less peace also tend to have higher average levels of personal religiosity, as measured by the frequency of prayer. Furthermore, these indicators of personal insecurity also correlate with income inequality, allowing inequality to serve as a widely available proxy for personal insecurity as it pertains to religiosity. Using this proxy, personal insecurity is shown to be at least as important in the determination of national average religiosity as the factors that are conventionally considered important, such as wealth, urbanization, and governmental regulation of religion (and indeed personal insecurity appears to be the most important determinant).
The Science and Technology Directorate’s Processes for Funding Research and Development Program (PDF, 1.35 MB)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
This report addresses the processes that the DHS Science and Technology Directorate uses to fund its research and development efforts. It is based on interviews with key directorate officials and staff as well as senior leaders of relevant agencies and institutions and a review of applicable documents.
Consolidated Report on DHS’ Management of 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes Mission Assignment Funding (PDF; 559 KB)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
This report presents the consolidated results of our reviews of DHS’ management of mission assignment funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and National Communications System. It addresses these agencies’ strengths and weaknesses in the management of mission assignments for the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes disaster relief efforts. The underlying reports of these component agencies, which have resulted in this consolidated report, are based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions, direct observations, and reviews of applicable documents.
We contracted with the independent public accounting firm of Regis & Associates, PC to perform the reviews. The contract required that Regis & Associates, PC perform its reviews according to guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office. In the underlying reports of the component agencies, Regis & Associates, PC identified areas where each agency’s management of the mission assignments and funds could be improved. In addition, they have identified five areas where action at the department level could improve the management of mission assignments by its component agencies. Specifically, DHS needs to: (1) establish procurement and contract monitoring standards; (2) enforce compliance with funds control policy and procedures; (3) establish documentation standards and a retention policy; (4) establish a uniform policy for managing accountable property; and (5) establish standards for reimbursement billing processes. Regis & Associates, PC, is responsible for the attached independent accountants’ report and the conclusions expressed therein.
The Vote and the Draft
Source: Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
The voting problems military and overseas voters face can be solved by a relatively simple fix to the voter registration system, two new reports released today by the Brennan Center for Justice show.
These reports provide a concrete roadmap for addressing the problematic disparity in the ways that the American military and overseas population vote. Members of Congress are examining the issue: just last week, the Senate passed the bipartisan Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE), sponsored by Senators Schumer and Chambliss, which will make it easier for military and overseas voters to receive ballots, voter registration forms, and other election materials on time.
+ Registering Military and Overseas Citizens to Vote
+ Automatic Registration in the United States: The Selective Service Example
PFF Releases New Edition of Parental Controls & Online Child Protection Report
Source: Progress & Freedom Foundation
Debates continue to rage about how to shield kids from the potential negative effects of various types of media or communications technologies. Is government intervention and regulation really needed to quell concerns, or do parents have access to constructive tools to control what their child sees and hears? To assist policymakers and parents, The Progress & Freedom Foundation is releasing an updated edition of Adam Thierer’s Special Report, “Parental Controls and Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools & Methods.”
In the latest edition of the PFF special report, Thierer, Senior Fellow and Director of PFF’s Center for Digital Media Freedom, explores the market for parental control tools, rating schemes, education efforts, and initiatives aimed at promoting online child safety. Version 4.0, now over 250 pages, contains almost 70 exhibits (up from 50), 725 references (up from roughly 500), and numerous updates in all five sections of the book. Major updates have been made to the Internet, social networking, and mobile media sections, reflecting the growing importance of those sectors and issues.
