bill Justice Department Announces Charges Filed Against Two Derivatives Traders in Connection with Multi-Billion Dollar Trading Loss at JPMorgan Chase & Company By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 14:07:46 EDT U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara and Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office George Venizelos announced the unsealing of criminal complaints against Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout for their alleged participation in a conspiracy to hide the true extent of losses in a credit derivatives trading portfolio maintained by the Chief Investment Office (CIO) of JPMorgan Chase & Company (JPMorgan). Martin-Artajo served as a Managing Director and Head of Credit and Equity Trading for the CIO, and Grout was a Vice President and derivatives trader in the CIO. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Long Island Physician to Pay U.S. $388,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Overbilling Medicare By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:23:04 EDT Richard S. Obedian, a Long Island, N.Y., orthopedic surgeon, will pay the government $388,000 to settle allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare for minimally invasive spine procedures. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Statement by Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer on Remedy to Address Apple’s Price Fixing of E-Books By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 6 Sep 2013 09:52:20 EDT “We’re pleased that the court has issued an order supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to address Apple’s illegal price fixing conduct. Consumers will continue to benefit from lower e-books prices as a result of the department’s enforcement action to restore competition in this important industry," said Assistant Attorney General Baer. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Florida Doctors, Hospitals and Clinics to Pay $3.5 Million to Settle Allegations of Improper Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE Billing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:07:39 EDT Radiation oncology providers in Pensacola, Fla., will pay $3.5 million to the government and the state of Florida to resolve allegations that they billed Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE – the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees and their families worldwide – for radiation oncology services that were not eligible for payment. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill California Mobile Lab and X-ray Provider, Diagnostic Laboratories and Radiology, to Pay $17.5 Million for Falsely Billing Medicare and Medi-CAL By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 11:49:17 EDT Kan-Di-Ki LLC, formerly known as Kan-Di-Ki Inc., doing business as Diagnostic Laboratories and Radiology (Diagnostic Labs), will pay $17.5 million to settle allegations that the California-based company violated the federal and California False Claims Acts by paying kickbacks for referral of mobile lab and radiology services subsequently billed to Medicare and Medi-Cal (the state of California’s Medicaid program), the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Johnson & Johnson to Pay More Than $2.2 Billion to Resolve Criminal and Civil Investigations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 09:41:43 EST Global health care giant Johnson &s largest long-term care pharmacy provider. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Orlando, Fla., Area Hospice to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Billed Medicare for Patients Not Terminally Ill By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 5 Nov 2013 12:55:47 EST Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for hospice services provided to patients who were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Delivers Remarks at the Conference Call Regarding the Justice Department’s Proposed Settlement with US Airways and American Airlines By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:26:09 EST The Department of Justice filed a proposed settlement with US Airways and American Airlines that, if approved by the court, would resolve our lawsuit challenging their proposed merger. Under the agreement, we are requiring US Airways and American Airlines to divest critically important facilities at seven key airports across the country Full Article Speech
bill Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer and Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Ronald T. Hosko Testify Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights on Cartel Prosecution By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 15:44:51 EST Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer and FBI Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko testify on cartel prosecution before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Full Article Speech
bill FreshPoint Inc. to Pay $4.2 Million for Overbilling the Department of Defense for Produce By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 10:59:33 EST FreshPoint Inc., a Houston, Texas-based food distribution company and wholly owned subsidiary of Sysco Corp., has agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve allegations that it overcharged the Department of Defense for fresh fruit and vegetables purchased under 15 separate contracts. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Nursing Home Operator to Pay $48 Million to Resolve Allegations That Six California Facilities Billed for Unnecessary Therapy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:11:09 EST The Ensign Group Inc., a skilled nursing provider based in Mission Viejo, Calif., that operates nursing homes across the western U.S. has agreed to pay $48 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted to Medicare false claims for medically unnecessary rehabilitation therapy services. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department, Federal and State Partners Secure Record $13 Billion Global Settlement with JPMorgan for Misleading Investors About Securities Containing Toxic Mortgages By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:41:51 EST The Justice Department, along with federal and state partners, today announced a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan - the largest settlement with a single entity in American history - to resolve federal and state civil claims arising out of the packaging, marketing, sale and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) by JPMorgan, Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual prior to Jan. 1, 2009. As part of the settlement, JPMorgan acknowledged it made serious misrepresentations to the public - including the investing public - about numerous RMBS transactions. The resolution also requires JPMorgan to provide much needed relief to underwater homeowners and potential homebuyers, including those in distressed areas of the country. The settlement does not absolve JPMorgan or its employees from facing any possible criminal charges. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Three Investment Advisors Sentenced in California for $1 Billion High-yield Investment Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 09:34:43 EST Three former investment advisers were sentenced on Nov. 19, 2013 for their roles in attempting to defraud a wealthy investor of $1 billion through a high-yield investment fraud scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill 20 Detroit-area Residents Charged in Medicare Fraud Strike Force Takedown for Approximately $34 Million in False Billing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 5 Dec 2013 15:49:10 EST Twenty Detroit-area residents have been charged for their roles in physician home visit, home health care, chiropractic and psychotherapy schemes to submit more than $34 million in false billing to Medicare. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Government Intervenes in False Claims Lawsuit Against Ipc the Hospitalist Co. Inc. Alleging Overbilling of Physician Services By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 9 Dec 2013 12:59:53 EST The government has intervened in a lawsuit against IPC The Hospitalist Co. Inc., and its subsidiaries (IPC), alleging that IPC submitted false claims to federal health care programs, the Justice Department announced today. IPC, based in North Hollywood, Calif., is one of the largest providers of hospitalist services in the United States, employing physicians and other health care providers who work in more than 1,300 facilities in 28 states. Hospitalists are physicians who work only in hospitals and other long-term care facilities, overseeing and coordinating inpatient care from admission to discharge. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013 By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 12:13:51 EST 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. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department Collects More Than $8 Billion in Civil and Criminal Cases in Fiscal Year 2013 By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Jan 2014 13:08:43 EST 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. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Tennessee and Virginia Orthopedic Clinics to Pay $1.85 Million to Settle Allegations of Billing Medicare for Reimported Products By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 13:40:42 EST Two orthopedic clinics will pay a combined $1.85 million to resolve state and federal False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly billed state and federal health care programs for reimported osteoarthritis medications, known as viscosupplements. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Federal Agencies Partner to Protect Veterans, Service Members and Their Families Using Gi Bill Education Benefits By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:19:34 EST The Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced today the launch of a new online complaint system designed to collect feedback from veterans, service members and their families who are experiencing problems with educational institutions receiving funding from Federal military and veterans educational benefits programs, including benefits programs provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the DoD Military Tuition Assistance Program. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Washington-Based Medical Device Manufacturer to Pay up to $5.25 Million to Settle Allegations of Causing False Billing of Federal Health Care Programs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:08:18 EST Medical device manufacturer EndoGastric Solutions Inc. has agreed to pay the government up to $5.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by misleading health care providers about how to bill federal health care programs for a procedure using a device manufactured by the company and by paying kickbacks. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Pharmaceutical Company to Pay $27.6 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:06:10 EDT Pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and a subsidiary, IVAX LLC, have agreed to pay the government and the state of Illinois $27.6 million for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by making payments to induce prescriptions of an anti-psychotic drug for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:34:15 EDT U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation Calvin L. Scovel, III, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator David Friedman, and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Joe Campbell announced a criminal wire fraud charge against Toyota Motor Corporation, an automotive company headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, that designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Readout of Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer’s Meeting with International Competition Network Members By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 17:41:46 EDT Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today met with 35 international antitrust enforcement agencies and dozens of private antitrust practitioners in Washington, D.C. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill United States Announces $5.15 Billion Settlement of Litigation Against Subsidiaries of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to Remedy Fraudulent Conveyance Designed to Evade Environmental Liabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 13:05:32 EDT The United States has entered into a settlement agreement with the Kerr-McGee Corporation and certain of its affiliates (“New Kerr-McGee”), and their parent Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, in a fraudulent conveyance case brought by the United States and co-plaintiff Anadarko Litigation Trust (the “Trust”) in the bankruptcy of Tronox Inc. and its subsidiaries (Tronox), announced Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resource Division Robert G. Dreher, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Speaks at the Pen and Pad Briefing on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Joint Antitrust Policy Statement on Sharing of Cybersecurity Information By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:11:45 EDT "This is an antitrust no-brainer: Companies who engage in properly designed cyber threat information sharing will not run afoul of the antitrust laws. This means that as long as companies don’t discuss competitive information such as pricing and output when sharing cybersecurity information, they’re okay," said Assistant Attorney General Baer. Full Article Speech
bill Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Speaks at the Conference Call Regarding the Justice Department’s Settlement with eBay Inc. to End Anticompetitive “No Poach” Hiring Agreements By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 May 2014 10:55:19 EDT "This is one further step towards closing an unfortunate chapter for Silicon Valley and other companies who unlawfully agreed to deny their employees the opportunity to receive competing job offers. These so-called “do not poach” or anti-solicitation agreements are per se unlawful, and the Antitrust Division takes them very seriously," said Assistant Attorney General Baer. Full Article Speech
bill Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 90 Individuals for Approximately $260 Million in False Billing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 13 May 2014 13:41:21 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that a nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in six cities has resulted in charges against 90 individuals. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill King’s Daughters Medical Center to Pay Nearly $41 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Billing for Unnecessary Cardiac Procedures and Kickbacks By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 28 May 2014 09:30:07 EDT Ashland Hospital Corp. d/b/a King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) has agreed to pay $40.9 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to the Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary coronary stents and diagnostic catheterizations. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Federal Government and State Attorneys General Reach Nearly $1 Billion Agreement with SunTrust to Address Mortgage Loan Origination as Well as Servicing and Foreclosure Abuses By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 11:42:54 EDT The Justice Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), along with 49 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia’s attorney general have reached a $968 million agreement with SunTrust Mortgage Inc. (SunTrust) to address mortgage origination, servicing, and foreclosure abuses Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Nation’s Largest Nursing Home Pharmacy Company to Pay $124 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:45:39 EDT Omnicare Inc., the nation’s largest provider of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy services to nursing homes, has agreed to pay $124.24 million for allegedly offering improper financial incentives to skilled nursing facilities in return for their continued selection of Omnicare to supply drugs to elderly Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, the Justice Department announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Former Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Multibillion Dollar Criminal Tax Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:47:25 EDT Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York announced that Paul M. Daugerdas, 63, a tax attorney and certified public accountant, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to serve 15 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraudulent tax shelter scheme in which he and his co-conspirators designed, marketed and implemented fraudulent tax shelters used by wealthy individuals to evade over $1.6 billion in taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill BNP Paribas Agrees to Plead Guilty and to Pay $8.9 Billion for Illegally Processing Financial Transactions for Countries Subject to U.S. Economic Sanctions By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:22:16 EDT According to court documents submitted today, BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) by processing billions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Virginia-Based Move Management Company Pays More Than $500,000 to Settle Overbilling Claims in Connection with Transportation of Personal Property in Relocating Federal Employees By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:40:14 EDT RE/MAX Allegiance Relocation Services, a Virginia-based move management company, has agreed to pay the government $509,807 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling for transportation services, the Department of Justice announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department, Federal and State Partners Secure Record $7 Billion Global Settlement with Citigroup for Misleading Investors About Securities Containing Toxic Mortgages By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:34:56 EDT The Justice Department, along with federal and state partners, today announced a $7 billion settlement with Citigroup Inc. to resolve federal and state civil claims related to Citigroup’s conduct in the packaging, securitization, marketing, sale and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) prior to Jan. 1, 2009 Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice and Filing False Multi-Billion Dollar Liens Against Two Federal Judges and Other Government Employees By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:07:50 EDT Tyree Davis Sr., 42, of Flossmoor, Illinois, pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice and two counts of filing false retaliatory liens against government officials, the Justice Department announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Hewlett-Packard Company Agrees to Pay $32.5 Million for Alleged Overbilling of the U.S. Postal Service By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:37:21 EDT The Justice Department announced today that Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has agreed to pay $32.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that HP overcharged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for products between October 2001 and December 2010. HP is a manufacturer and vendor of information technology products and services headquartered in Palo Alto, California Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Bank of America to Pay $16.65 Billion in Historic Justice Department Settlement for Financial Fraud Leading up to and During the Financial Crisis By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 13:42:20 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder and Associate Attorney General Tony West announced today that the Department of Justice has reached a $16.65 billion settlement with Bank of America Corporation – the largest civil settlement with a single entity in American history — to resolve federal and state claims against Bank of America and its former and current subsidiaries, including Countrywide Financial Corporation and Merrill Lynch. As part of this global resolution, the bank has agreed to pay a $5 billion penalty Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Justice Department and State Partners Secure $1.375 Billion Settlement with S&P for Defrauding Investors in the Lead Up to the Financial Crisis By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 3 Feb 2015 16:01:53 EST Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Department of Justice and 19 states and the District of Columbia have entered into a $1.375 billion settlement agreement with the rating agency Standard &s Financial Services LLC, along with its parent corporation McGraw Hill Financial Inc., to resolve allegations that S&s 2013 lawsuit against S& true credit risks. Other allegations assert that S&s business relationships with the investment banks that issued the securities. Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Morgan Stanley Agrees to Pay $2.6 Billion Penalty in Connection with Its Sale of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 19:56:23 EST The Justice Department today announced that Morgan Stanley will pay a $2 Full Article OPA Press Releases
bill Organic Trade Association and The Organic Center Applaud Senate Bill, Organic Agriculture Research By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:38:00 GMT The Organic Trade Association and The Organic Center on Thursday applauded Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for introducing The Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018. Full Article
bill Lonza and Moderna shoot for billion COVID-19 vaccine doses By www.biopharma-reporter.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 15:23:00 +0100 Moderna announces it has partnered with Lonza with the aim of producing one billion doses annually. Full Article Bio Developments
bill U.N. nearly triples its coronavirus fundraising goal to $6.7 billion By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 17:01:11 -0400 The U.N. triples its fundraising target for fighting the coronavirus, even as President Trump plans to freeze U.S. aid to its principal health agency. Full Article
bill Daily briefing: More than 1 billion people face unbearable temperatures within 50 years By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-05 Full Article
bill The next COVID-19 relief bill must include massive aid to states, especially the hardest-hit areas By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:32:57 +0000 Amid rising layoffs and rampant uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good thing that Democrats in the House of Representatives say they plan to move quickly to advance the next big coronavirus relief package. Especially important is the fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seems determined to build the next package around a generous infusion… Full Article
bill Prevalence and characteristics of surprise out-of-network bills from professionals in ambulatory surgery centers By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:33:48 +0000 Full Article
bill Congress and Trump have produced four emergency pandemic bills. Don’t expect a fifth anytime soon. By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 16:47:35 +0000 Full Article
bill The next COVID-19 relief bill must include massive aid to states, especially the hardest-hit areas By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:32:57 +0000 Amid rising layoffs and rampant uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good thing that Democrats in the House of Representatives say they plan to move quickly to advance the next big coronavirus relief package. Especially important is the fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seems determined to build the next package around a generous infusion… Full Article
bill The global poverty gap is falling. Billionaires could help close it. By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 10:26:00 -0500 This week, the richest business leaders and investors from around the world will gather in Davos, Switzerland, for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. In keeping with tradition, a small portion of the agenda will be devoted to global development and the plight of people living at the other end of the global income distribution. Philanthropy is one way of linking the fortunes of these disparate communities. What if some of the mega-rich could be persuaded to redistribute their wealth to the extreme poor? This question may feel hackneyed, but it deserves a fresh hearing in light of a dramatic reduction in the global poverty gap over the past several years (Figure 1). The theoretical cost of transfers required to lift all poor people’s income up to the global poverty line of $1.90 a day stood at approximately $80 billion [1] in 2015, down from over $300 billion in 1980. (Values expressed here are in 2015 market dollars.) Figure 1. Official foreign aid now exceeds the annual cost of closing the poverty gap Source: Authors’ calculations based on OECD, World Bank This reduction can be unpacked into two parts. The first is a steep decline in the number of people living below the global poverty line. This is increasingly recognized as one of the defining features of the era. A U.N. goal to halve the poverty rate in the developing world between 1990 and 2015 was nearly achieved twice over. The second and lesser-known factor is the shrinking average distance of the world’s poor from the poverty line. In 1980, the mean daily income of those living below $1.90 was $1.09. In 2012 it was 25 cents higher at $1.34. (Values expressed here in 2011 purchasing power parity dollars.) Despite this good news, global poverty still demands attention. Hundreds of millions of people continue to suffer this most acute form of deprivation. In several countries, the prospects for ending poverty over the next generation, in line with a recently endorsed successor U.N. goal, appear challenging at best. Figure 1 illustrates that in 2006, global aid flows exceeded the cost of the global poverty gap for the first time. This suggests that the elimination of extreme poverty should be possible simply through a more efficient allocation of aid. However, this confuses foreign aid’s goals and functions. The bulk of official foreign aid is used in the provision of public goods, such as physical infrastructure and strengthening institutions. Only 2 percent is directed to social payments and their administration. If the elimination of extreme poverty is to be achieved through targeted transfers, it depends on sources other than foreign aid. The main source of transfers to the poor is welfare programs run and financed by developing countries themselves. These social safety nets have emerged as an increasingly prominent instrument in the toolkit of developing economy governments. Eighty-three percent of developing economies employ unconditional cash transfer programs, although many are small in scale. Several countries are in the process of building the apparatus for more accurate targeting and authentication through the assembly of beneficiary registries and the rolling out of identity programs. In at least 10 developing countries, social safety nets have succeeded in establishing a social floor by lifting all those people under the poverty line up above the threshold. In the vast majority, however, safety nets are insufficiently targeted or generous for that purpose, reflecting not only resource constraints, but also political choices that can be resistant to change. A complementary approach is to consider the role of private mechanisms and wealth. NGOs were among the original pioneers of cash transfers in the developing world. More recently, the NGO GiveDirectly has designed a compelling new method of charitable giving that sends money directly to the poor using digital monitoring and payment technology. Its approach has received strong endorsements from independent charity assessors and has been validated by impact evaluations. Yet the scale of its existing donations remains tiny relative to the global poverty gap. This is where Davos’s global elite could come into play: What difference could a philanthropic donation from the world’s richest people make? Comparing billionaire wealth with the global poverty gap To explore this question, we begin by identifying those developing countries that are home to a least one billionaire. (Our analysis is restricted to billionaires by data, not by the potential largesse of the world’s multi-millionaires. We focus our attention on billionaires in the developing world given the traditional focus of philanthropy on domestic causes.) Let’s assume that the richest billionaire in each country agrees to give away half of his or her current wealth among his or her fellow citizens, disbursed evenly over the next 15 years, roughly in accordance with the Giving Pledge promoted by Bill Gates. That money would be used exclusively to finance transfers to poor people based on their current distance from the poverty line. Transfers would be sustained at the same level for the full 15-year period with the aim of providing a modicum of income security that might allow beneficiaries to sustainably escape from poverty by 2030. Table 1 summarizes the key results. In each of three countries—Colombia, Georgia, and Swaziland—a single individual's act of philanthropy could be sufficient to end extreme poverty with immediate effect. Swaziland is an especially striking case as it is among the world’s poorest countries with 41 percent of its population living under the poverty line. In Brazil, Peru, and the Philippines, poverty could be more than halved, or eliminated altogether if the billionaires could be convinced to match Mark Zuckerberg’s example and increase their donation to 99 percent of their wealth. Table 1. The potential impact on poverty of individual billionaire giving pledges Country Cost per year to close the poverty gap Wealthiest billionaire Net worth Poverty rate pre-transfer Poverty rate post-transfer Nigeria $12,070 m A. Dangote $14,700 m 45% 43% Swaziland $85 m N. Kirsh $3,900 m 41% 0% Tanzania $1,645 m M. Dewji $1,250 m 40% 39% Uganda $1,035 m S. Ruparelia $1,100 m 33% 32% Angola $1,277 m I. dos Santos $3,300 m 28% 25% S. Africa $1,068 m J. Rupert $7,400 m 18% 14% Philippines $648 m H. Sy $14,200 m 12% 3% Nepal $144 m B. Chaudhary $1,300 m 12% 8% India $5,839 m M. Ambani $21,000 m 12% 10% Guatemala $215 m M. Lopez Estrada $1,000 m 12% 10% Venezuela $870 m G. Cisneros $3,600 m 11% 9% Georgia $40 m B. Ivanishvili $5,200 m 10% 0% Indonesia $845 m R. Budi Hartono $9,000 m 9% 6% Colombia $444 m L. C. Sarmiento $13,400 m 7% 0% Brazil $1,223 m J. P. Lemann $25,000 m 4% 1% Peru $95 m C. Rodriguez-Pastor $2,100 m 3% 1% China $3,072 m W. Jianlin $24,200 m 3% 2% Source: Authors’ calculations based on Forbes, International Monetary Fund, PovcalNet, and the World Bank. Poverty rates post-transfer calculated based on average distance of the poor from the poverty line. In other countries—Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Angola—the potential impact on poverty is only modest. A number of factors account for differences between countries, but two factors that penalize African countries are especially noteworthy. First, the depth of poverty in Africa remains high, with 15 percent of the population living on less than $1.00 a day; and second, Africa has relatively high prices compared to other poor regions, which means more dollars are required to deliver the same amount of welfare. For those nations that have more than one billionaire, an alternative scenario is that the country’s club of billionaires makes the pledge together and combines resources to tackle domestic poverty. This would end poverty in China, India, and Indonesia—countries that rank first, second, and fifth globally in terms of the absolute size of their poor populations. The last two columns of Table 2 describe the results. Table 2. The potential impact on poverty of collective billionaire giving pledges Country Cost per year of closing the poverty gap No. of Billionnaires Net Worth Poverty rate pre-transfer Poverty rate post-transfer Nigeria $12,070 m 5 $22,900 m 45% 42% Swaziland $85 m 1 $3,900 m 41% 0% Tanzania $1,645 m 2 $2,250 m 40% 38% Uganda $1,035 m 1 $1,100 m 33% 32% Angola $1,277 m 1 $3,300 m 28% 25% S. Africa $1,068 m 7 $28,550 m 18% 2% Philippines $648 m 11 $51,300 m 12% 0% Nepal $144 m 1 $1,300 m 12% 8% India $5,839 m 90 $294,250 m 12% 0% Guatemala $215 m 1 $1,000 m 12% 10% Venezuela $870 m 3 $9,600 m 11% 7% Georgia $40 m 1 $5,200 m 10% 0% Indonesia $845 m 23 $56,150 m 9% 0% Colombia $444 m 3 $18,500 m 7% 0% Brazil $1,223 m 54 $181,050 m 4% 0% Peru $95 m 6 $8,750 m 3% 0% China $3,072 m 213 $564,700 m 3% 0% Source: Authors’ calculations based on Forbes, IMF, PovcalNet, and the World Bank. Poverty rates post-transfer calculated based on average distance of the poor from the poverty line. This exercise is of course laden with simplifying assumptions. [2] It is intended to provoke discussion, not to provide definitive figures. Moreover, it is open to debate whether transfers represent the most cost-effective way of sustainably ending poverty, the extent to which transfers ought to be targeted, the efficacy of building private transfer programs alongside public safety nets, and whether cash transfers represent the most appropriate use of billionaires’ philanthropy. What is less contestable is that a falling global poverty gap presents an opportunity for more systematic efforts for poverty reduction. This raises the question: How low does the poverty gap have to fall before we explicitly design programs to bring the remaining poor above the poverty line? We would argue that we are already beyond this point, not least in countries that remain a long way from ending poverty. Were a billionaire at Davos to commit to using his or her wealth in this fashion, it could trigger a powerful demonstration effect of innovative solutions—not just for other billionaires, but for countries that are currently at risk of being left behind. [1] The cost of the global poverty gap in 2015 is an overestimate compared with the World Bank’s tentative poverty estimate for the same year. This is due to a different treatment of Nigeria. For this exercise, we rely on data from the 2009/10 Harmonized Nigeria Living Standards Survey reported in PovcalNet, despite its well-documented problems, whereas the Bank draws on the 2010/11 General Household Survey. [2] Simplifying assumptions include: zero administrative costs in identifying the poor, assessing their income, and administering payments with no leakages, or no portion of those costs being borne by billionaires; the efficacy of administering miniscule transfers to those who stand on the margin of the poverty line; and no change in the cost of closing the poverty gap in a country over time, whether due to population growth, an increase or decrease in poverty, or a change in prices relative to the dollar. Authors Laurence ChandyLorenz NoeChristine Zhang Full Article
bill The next COVID-19 relief bill must include massive aid to states, especially the hardest-hit areas By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:32:57 +0000 Amid rising layoffs and rampant uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good thing that Democrats in the House of Representatives say they plan to move quickly to advance the next big coronavirus relief package. Especially important is the fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seems determined to build the next package around a generous infusion… Full Article
bill Prevalence and characteristics of surprise out-of-network bills from professionals in ambulatory surgery centers By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:33:48 +0000 Full Article