2013

Local Government Briefing Note 4 of 2013 - State Aid: Proposed Reform of State Aid Procedures

? The European Commission has announced proposals to amend the Procedural Regulation adopted in 1999. This forms part of the EC’s State Aid Modernisation Initiative and will support quicker decision making and ensure a focus...




2013

Local Government Briefing Note 5 of 2013 - Equality Act 2010: Technical Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty

? Recently, the Equality and Human Rights Commission EHRC published detailed technical guidance for those public sector bodies seeking to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). There is separate guidance for Scotland, England and Wales....




2013

Local Government Briefing Note 6 of 2013 - State Aid Modernisation: proposed amendments to the Enabling and the Procedural Regulations

The European Commission (the "EC") presented two proposals on 5 December 2012, as part of its State Aid Modernisation initiative. The proposals will include amendments to two key State aid instruments, the Enabling Regulation and...




2013

Local Government Briefing Note 8 of 2013 - Proposed changes to rules for solicitors employed by local authorities

? The Solicitors Regulation Authority has undertaken consultation on proposed changes to the rules for solicitors employed by local authorities.  The SRA is proposing to amend rule 4.15(e) of the Practice Framework Rules, to ...




2013

Local Government Briefing Note 9 of 2013 - The Administrative Court considers effective and lawful consultation

The court has recently considered the extent of disclosure required to satisfy the obligation of fairness in a consultation exercise in the case of R (on the application of Save our Surgery Limited) v Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts  (&l...




2013

Eversheds Local Government Briefing Note 18 of 2013: Code of Conduct for Operational PFI/PPPs

Code of Conduct for Operational PFI/PPPs HM Treasury recently published a brand new PFI/PPP code of conduct (the ‘Code’) which is aimed at delivering savings in operational PPP contracts. What has been introduced? ...




2013

Local Government Briefing Note 20 of 2013: Judicial Review: Proposals for further reform

On 1 July 2013, following its consultation Judicial Review: proposals for reform, the Government introduced significant changes to the judicial review process.  The stated aim was to balance the need to ensure lawful public administration with ...




2013

Replies submitted to NAB questionnaire on $50m scam: Petroleum Division admits breach of MGPG-2013

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division has admitted that it has violated the marginal gas policy guidelines 2013, and the terms of reference set by directorate general petroleum concessions , while...

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2013

Replies submitted to NAB questionnaire on $50m scam: Petroleum Division admits breach of MGPG-2013

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division has admitted that it has violated the marginal gas policy guidelines 2013, and the terms of reference set by directorate general petroleum concessions , while...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]




2013

Replies submitted to NAB questionnaire on $50m scam: Petroleum Division admits breach of MGPG-2013

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division has admitted that it has violated the marginal gas policy guidelines 2013, and the terms of reference set by directorate general petroleum concessions , while...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]




2013

Health Highlights: May 1, 2013

Title: Health Highlights: May 1, 2013
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2013 12:00:00 AM




2013

Health Highlights: May 2, 2013

Title: Health Highlights: May 2, 2013
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM




2013

JATS-Con 2013 Program is Now Available

JATS-Con is a conference for users of the Journal Article Tag Suite, that is, users of any of the "NLM DTDs" or NISO Z39.96. JATS-Con will take place on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland on October 22 and 23, 2013.

The full program is now available, as are proceedings from previous years.

There is no charge for the conference; however, space is limited so registration is required.

You may also sign up for a pre-conference tutorial on October 21, 2013. Details are on the Tutorial Registration page.




2013

Applicant gender and matching to first-choice discipline: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Resident Matching Service (2013-2019)

Background:

Previous studies examining potential sex and gender bias in the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) match have had conflicting results. We examined the results of the CaRMS match over the period 2013–2019 to determine the potential association between applicants’ gender and the outcome of matching to their first-choice discipline.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional analysis, we determined the risk of matching to one’s first-choice discipline in CaRMS by applicant gender and year, for all Canadian medical students who participated in the first iteration of the R-1 match for the years 2013 to 2019. We analyzed data in 3 categories of disciplines according to CaRMS classifications: family medicine, nonsurgical disciplines and surgical disciplines. We excluded disciplines with fewer than 10 applicants.

Results:

Match results were available for 20 033 participants, of whom 11 078 (55.3%) were female. Overall, female applicants were significantly more likely to match to their first-choice discipline (relative risk [RR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.04). After adjustment for match year and stratification by discipline categories, we found that female applicants were more likely to match to family medicine as their first choice (RR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03–1.05) and less likely to match to a first-choice surgical discipline (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–1.00) than their male peers. There was no significant difference between the genders in matching to one’s first-choice nonsurgical discipline (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99–1.03).

Interpretation:

These results suggest an association between an applicant’s gender and the probability of matching to one’s first-choice discipline. The possibility of gender bias in the application process for residency programs should be further evaluated and monitored.




2013

RPGCast – Episode 245: “Mass Effect Football Manager 2013”

This week we figure out BioWare’s next title. Then we settle the great question of Persona 4 vs. Nocturne. Finally, we give our list of...




2013

RPGCast – Episode 269: “(Not)RPGCast – E3 2013 Special”

Warden Chris has left the building, now the inmates are running the asylum. Hear want these irregulars have to say about the news of this...




2013

RPGCast – Episode 295: “Game of the Year 2013”

Some things are better late than never. Adriaan, Glenn, Alex, Sam, and Chris talk Games of the Year. At least, that’s the idea, but I...




2013

64 laser pointer attacks on aircraft recorded in Sask. since 2013

Laser pointer attacks on aircraft have become increasingly rare over the years in Saskatchewan, as figures from Transport Canada show.




2013

A Coronavirus Spread Through U.S. Pigs in 2013. Here’s How It Was Stopped

The containment practices of outbreaks past could have lessons for modern epidemics




2013

Department of Justice FY 2013 Budget Request

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that President Obama’s FY 2013 Budget proposal totaling $27.1 billion for the Department of Justice identifies over $1 billion in efficiencies, savings and rescissions while providing resources to sustain critical national security programs, uphold the department’s traditional missions with an increased focus on financial and mortgage fraud and civil rights enforcement, invest in prisons and detention capacity, and assist our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Antitrust Division Issues 2013 Edition of Its Annual Newsletter

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today issued the 2013 edition of its annual newsletter on its website.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Director of Human Rights Enforcement Strategy and Policy for the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section Eli M. Rosenbaum Speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2013 Days of Remembrance

"For more than three decades now, my colleagues and I at the United States Department of Justice have been deeply privileged to pursue justice on behalf of Jewish victims of the Holocaust and also on behalf of victims of Nazi crimes committed against other groups," said Director Rosenbaum.




2013

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National African American Drug Policy Coalition National Spring 2013 Summit

"The issues you’re discussing here at this summit – the intersection of drugs and crime, gang and youth violence, the future of juvenile justice – are all issues the Department of Justice and my office, the Office of Justice Programs, are working diligently to address," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




2013

Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 2013 Annual Conference

"We know this work is not easy. But we also know that so many elder Americans are depending on us – especially those who are among the most vulnerable; who so often cannot speak for themselves – they are depending on us to do this work and to do it well. And I know we will not let them down," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




2013

Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the FY 2013 Cops Hiring Program Announcement

It is our hope – it’s definitely our belief – that these resources will offer public safety agencies here in Oakland and throughout California some much-needed assistance to address major issues like homicides, gang crimes, youth violence, and crimes against children.




2013

Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

The Justice Department secured $3.8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Justice Department Collects More Than $8 Billion in Civil and Criminal Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that the Justice Department collected at least $8 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Justice Department Announces Three Tribes to Implement Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Under VAWA 2013

Three American Indian tribes – the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, and the Umatilla Tribes of Oregon – will be the first in the nation to exercise special criminal jurisdiction over certain crimes of domestic and dating violence, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status, under a pilot project authorized by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013).



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Environment and Natural Resources Division Releases FY 2013 Accomplishments Report

The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Accomplishments Report detailing its work alongside other federal agencies.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Civil Rights Division Highlights Accomplishments and New Records for 2013

The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division today released its accomplishments report for 2013. This report supplements the division’s first accomplishments report, issued last year, on the division’s work during the first four years of Attorney General Eric Holder’s leadership.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

Detroit Tax Preparer, Previously Convicted on Tax Charges, Found Guilty of Failing to Appear at 2013 Bond Hearing

The Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced that Matthew Bender, of Detroit, was convicted yesterday following a jury trial of failing to appear at a bond hearing on July 2, 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

2013

HRT missing from 2013 entry list

HRT appears set to close after failing to find a buyer in time to make the FIA's 2013 entry list




2013

Bid to take over HRT 'too late' for 2013 entry - Ecclestone

A new bid to take over HRT and rebrand it Scorpion Racing is not likely to get the go-ahead to compete in this year's championship, according to Bernie Ecclestone




2013

2013 Brookings Blum Roundtable: The Private Sector in the New Global Development Agenda


Event Information

August 4-6, 2013

Aspen, Colorado

Lifting an estimated 1.2 billion people from extreme poverty over the next generation will require robust and broadly-shared economic growth throughout the developing world that is sufficient to generate decent jobs for an ever-expanding global labor force. Innovative but affordable solutions must also be found to meet people’s demand for basic needs like food, housing, a quality education and access to energy resources. And major investments will still be required to effectively address global development challenges, such as climate change and child and maternal health.  On all these fronts, the private sector, from small- and medium-sized enterprises to major global corporations, must play a significant and expanded role.

On August 4-6, 2013, Brookings Global Economy and Development is hosting the tenth annual Brookings Blum Roundtable on Global Poverty in Aspen, Colorado. This year’s roundtable theme, “The Private Sector in the New Global Development Agenda,” brings together global leaders, entrepreneurs, practitioners and public intellectuals to discuss how the contribution of the private sector be enhanced in the push to end poverty over the next generation and how government work more effectively with the private sector to leverage its investments in developing countries. 

Roundtable Agenda

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Welcome: 8:40AM - 9:00AM MST
Brookings Welcome
Strobe Talbott, Brookings

Opening Remarks
Richard C. Blum, Blum Capital Partners, LP and Founder of 
the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley
Julie Sunderland, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Kemal Derviş, Global Economy and Development, Brookings

Session I: 9:00AM - 10:30AM MST
Framing Session: Reimagining the Role of the Private Sector
In this opening discussion, participants will explore the overarching questions for the roundtable: How can the contribution of the private sector be enhanced in the push to end poverty over the next generation? What are the most effective mechanisms for strengthening private sector accountability? How can business practices and norms be encouraged that support sustainable development and job creation? How can business build trust in its contributions to sustainable development?

Moderator
Nancy Birdsall, Center for Global Development

Introductory Remarks
• Homi Kharas, Brookings Institution
Viswanathan Shankar, Standard Chartered Bank
Shannon May, Bridge International Academies


Session II: 10:50AM - 12:20PM MST
Private Equity
Participants will explore the following questions for the roundtable: What are the constraints to higher levels of private equity in the developing world, including in non-traditional sectors? How can early-stage investments be promoted to improve deal flow? How can transaction costs and technical assistance costs be lowered?

Moderator
Laura Tyson, University of California, Berkeley

Introductory Remarks
Robert van Zwieten, Emerging Markets Private Equity Association
Runa Alam, Development Partners International
Vineet Rai, Aavishkaar

Dinner Program: 6:45PM - 9:15PM MST
Aspen Institute Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Lecture


Featuring
Dr. Paul Farmer, Chief Strategist and Co-Founder, Partners in Health


Monday, August 5, 2013

Session III: 9:00AM - 10:30AM MST
Goods, Services and Jobs for the Poor
Participants will explore the following questions for the roundtable: In what areas are the most promising emerging business models that serve the poor arising? What are the major obstacles in creating and selling profitable, quality, and beneficial products to the poor and how can they be overcome? What common features distinguish successful and replicable solutions?

Moderator
Mary Robinson, Mary Robinson Foundation

Introductory Remarks
• Ashish Karamchandani, Monitor Deloitte
• Chris Locke, GSMA
• Ajaita Shah, Frontier Markets
• Hubertus van der Vaart, SEAF


Session IV: 10:50AM - 12:20PM MST
Blended Finance
Participants will explore the following questions for the roundtable: Can standard models of blended finance deliver projects at a large enough scale? How can leverage be measured and incorporated into aid effectiveness measures? Should governments have explicit leverage targets to force change more rapidly and systematically?

Moderator
Henrietta Fore, Holsman International

Introductory Remarks
Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC
• Ewen McDonald, AusAID
Laurie Spengler, ShoreBank International 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013 

Session V: 9:00AM - 10:30AM MST
Unlocking Female Entrepreneurship
Participants will explore the following questions for the roundtable: How is the global landscape for female entrepreneurship changing? What types of interventions have the greatest ability to overturn barriers to female entrepreneurship in the developing world? Who, or what institutions, should lead efforts to advance this agenda? Can progress be made without a broader effort to end economic discrimination against women?

Moderator
• Smita Singh, Independent

Introductory Remarks
Dina Powell, Goldman Sachs
Carmen Niethammer, IFC
Randall Kempner, ANDE

Session VI: 10:50AM - 12:20PM MST
U.S. Leadership and Resources to Engage The Private Sector
Participants will explore the following questions for the roundtable: How can U.S. foreign assistance be strengthened to more effectively promote the role of the private sector? How can U.S. diplomacy support private sector development in the emerging economies and multinational enterprises investing in the developing world? What can the US do to promote open innovation platforms?

Moderator
George Ingram, Brookings

Introductory Remarks
• Sam Worthington, InterAction
John Podesta, Center for American Progress
Rajiv Shah, USAID

Closing Remarks
 Richard C. Blum, Blum Capital Partners, LP and Founder of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at Berkeley
Kemal Derviş, Global Economy and Development, Brookings

Public Event: 4:30PM - 6:00PM MST
Brookings and the Aspen Institute Present: "America's Fiscal Health and its Implications for International Engagement"
Global Economy and Development at Brookings and the Aspen Institute will host the 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development Rajiv Shah for a discussion on the current state of the U.S.'s fiscal health and its impact on American diplomatic and development priorities. Moderated by Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Director, Aspen Strategy Group.

Moderator
Nicholas Burns, Director, Aspen Strategy Group

Panelists
Condoleezza Rice, 66th United States Secretary of State
Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

 

Event Materials

      
 
 




2013

The President’s 2013 Budget Would Enable Almost All Americans to Save for Retirement


The new 2013 budget unveiled by President Obama on Monday again contains the Automatic IRA, which was developed by Brookings' Retirement Security Project in conjunction with The Heritage Foundation. This year's version again includes an important change that will also encourage more employers to offer a 401(k) account to their workers. However, important changes to the Saver's Credit, which had been in previous budgets failed to make it this year.

Nearly half of American workers - an estimated 78 million- currently have no employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. The Automatic IRA is a simple, easy to administer and understand system that is designed to meet the needs of small businesses and their employees. Employers facilitate employee savings without having to sponsor a 401(k)-type plan, make matching contributions or meet complex eligibility rules. Employees are enrolled automatically into an IRA with a simplified system of investment choices and a set automatic savings level. However, they retain complete control over all aspects of the account including how much to save, which investment choice to use, or even to opt out completely. Automatic IRAs also offer savings options for the self-employed, for independent contractors, as well as providing those who are changing jobs the ability to continue their retirement savings.

The new 2013 budget would also double the size of the tax credit that employers receive in return for starting a new 401(k) plan from $500 annually for three years to $1,000 annually for the same period. This increase will ensure that the credit covers more of an employer's costs, and should encourage more employers to offer such a plan. This is a very good move, but the credit could be still further expanded to $1,500 for three years as will be proposed by a new House bill coming from Rep. Richard Neal. As Congress examines the proposal, it will have the opportunity to also expand the smaller credit that would be offered to employers that start an Automatic IRA to ensure that they are fully reimbursed for all expenses connected with starting and operating such an account for their workers.

A disappointing development is the failure to again include proposals to expand and improve the Saver's Credit by making it fully refundable. The Saver's Credit is an incentive for middle-and lower-income taxpayers to save in 401(k)-type accounts or IRAs. Retirement Security Project research found that more than 69 million taxpayers had income that was low enough for them to be eligible for the Saver's Credit in 2007. However, nearly 45 million of these filers actually failed to qualify for the credit because they had no federal tax liability. If the Saver's Credit was made refundable as RSP has proposed and deposited directly into the account as a match for savings, those 45 million taxpayers could have taken advantage of the program and had significantly higher retirement savings.

Image Source: © Hugh Gentry / Reuters
     
 
 




2013

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity : Spring 2013

Brookings Institution Press 2013 350pp.

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) provides academic and business economists, government officials, and members of the financial and business communities with timely research on current economic issues.

Contents:

• Inequality Rising and Permanent over Past Two Decades
Jason DeBacker (Middle Tennessee State University), Bradley Heim (Indiana University), Vasia Panousi (Federal Reserve Board), Shanthi Ramnath (U.S. Treasury Department), and Ivan Vidangos (Federal Reserve Board)

• Minimum Balance of 5 Percent Could Prevent Future Money Market Fund Runs
Patrick E. McCabe (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve) and Marco Cipriani, Michael Holscher, and Antoine Martin (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

• Low-Income, High-Achieving Students Miss Out on Attending Selective Colleges
Caroline M. Hoxby (Stanford University) and Christopher Avery (Harvard Kennedy School of Government)

• Portuguese Economic Slump Caused by the Large Capital Inflows that Came with the Euro 
Ricardo Reis (Columbia University) 

• Family Planning over Past Half-Century Has Had Positive Social and Economic Impacts
Martha J. Bailey, University of Michigan

• Large Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion Worldwide
Asli Demirguc-Kunt and Leora Klapper (World Bank)
Ordering Information:
  • {9ABF977A-E4A6-41C8-B030-0FD655E07DBF}, 9780815725480, $36.00 Add to Cart
      
 
 




2013

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity: Fall 2013


Brookings Institution Press 2014 350pp.

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) provides academic and business economists, government officials, and members of the financial and business communities with timely research on current economic issues.

Contents

• Is This Time Different? The Slowdown in Healthcare Spending
Amitabh Chandra and Jonathan Holmes (Harvard University) and Jonathan Skinner (Dartmouth College)

• Boom, Bust, Recovery: Forensics of the Latvia Crisis
Olivier Blanchard, Mark Griffiths, and Bertrand Gruss (IMF)

• The Impacts of Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Education
Elizabeth Cascio (Dartmouth College) and Diane Schanzenbach (Northwestern University)

• Amerisclerosis? The Puzzle of Rising U.S. Unemployment Persistence
Olivier Coibion (University of Texas–Austin), Yuriy Gorodnichenko (University of California–Berkeley), Dmitri Koustas, University of California at Berkeley

• The Decline of the U.S. Labor Share
Michael Elsby (University of Edinburgh), Bart Hobijn (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco), and Aysegul Sahin (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

• Unseasonal Seasonals?
Jonathan Wright (Johns Hopkins University)

ABOUT THE EDITORS

David H. Romer
Justin Wolfers

Downloads

Ordering Information:
  • {9ABF977A-E4A6-41C8-B030-0FD655E07DBF}, 978-0-8157-2601-2, $36.00 Add to Cart
      
 
 




2013

National Public Radio – May 2, 2013

       




2013

What Are Your Hopes, Dreams and Predictions for 2013?

We asked the question on Facebook and got all kinds of interesting responses.




2013

The Design Stories of 2012 That Will Resonate in 2013

What we learned from last year and will look for in this one




2013

10 most loved vegetarian and vegan recipes of 2013

These are the most popular recipes from The Cooking Project this year, and I have to say, you all sure love your avocados!




2013

Ecovative's magical mushroom insulation wins 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge

The styrofoam substitute that they grow into packaging and insulation is the next big thing in building.




2013

CES 2013: The World's Largest Electronics Tradeshow, Buddhism, and the Illusion of Choice

We have more choices than ever in the consumer electronics sector, but at what cost does all this "choice" come?




2013

CES 2013: New CubeX 3D Printer Spits Out Objects the Size of Basketballs

The new machine from 3D Systems has a larger printing platform, and a whole lot of new bells and whistles for 3D printing enthusiasts.




2013

CES 2013: Do We Need Another Gadget that Tells Us When to Water and Feed Our Plants?

Are we really that dependent on technology now that we can't water our plants without a gadget telling us when to do so?




2013

CES 2013: Powerful Solar Generator Launched by Goal Zero

The Yeti 150 is the latest from Goal Zero, and offers a powerful solution for emergency and off-grid charging.




2013

CES 2013: OLPC Launches Their Newest Laptop/Tablet Hybrid

The non-profit has made three new announcements at CES this year, one of which is the OLPC 4.0 that switches from laptop to tablet and back.




2013

CES 2013: Samsung Unveils Evolution Kits to Upgrade Your Old TV

Instead of buying Samsung's latest premium TV, you can upgrade your old (Samsung premium TV) with this new little black box.




2013

NICB says Oklahoma Efforts Limited Fraud Following 2013 Moore Tornado - Oklahoma Tornado Update

Oklahoma Tornado Update




2013

NICB says Oklahoma Efforts Limited Fraud Following 2013 Moore Tornado - Oklahoma Tornado Update

Oklahoma Tornado Update