EPA Proposes Stringent Standards for Large Ships
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency today announced the next steps in a coordinated strategy to slash harmful emissions from ocean-going vessels. EPA is proposing a rule under the Clean Air Act that sets tough engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships that would harmonize with international standards and lead to significant air quality improvements throughout the country.

+ EPA: Oceangoing Vessels

New GAO Report (PDFs)
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Urban Area Security Initiative: FEMA Lacks Measures to Assess How Regional Collaboration Efforts Build Preparedness Capabilities
Highlights ||| Full Report

Population Change in Central and Outlying Counties of Metropolitan Statistical Areas: 2000 to 2007 (PDF; 8 MB)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

This report examines population change and the demographic components of change from 2000 to 2007 for central an outlying counties of metropolitan statistical areas. Population change in metro areas and their component central and outlying counties will be examined through the configurations of census regions and divisions, metro area population size categories, and 12 of the most populous metro areas. Demographic components of change are births, deaths and migration. The difference between the birth and death components is termed natural increase, and the migration component can consist of both net international migration and net domestic migration. Data used in this report come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program.

The report focuses on metro areas and the central and outlying counties that compose the areas—all metro area counties belong to one of these two catego- ries, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The 2006 area definitions are based upon the 2000 OMB Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas applied to Census 2000 data and Census Bureau population estimates.

FHFA Authorizes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Expand Home Affordable Refinance Program to 125 Percent Loan-to-Value (PDF; 92 KB)
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency

he Federal Housing Finance Agency has authorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to expand the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments from the present loan-to-value ratio ceiling of 105 to 125 percent. With these expanded refinance opportunities, qualified borrowers whose mortgages are currently owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be allowed to refinance those loans according to the terms of the Home Affordable Refinance Program established earlier this year.
…
The program provides borrowers with an incentive to reduce the term of their loan from 30 years to a shorter-term, fixed-rate mortgage and therefore pay down the principal more quickly and reduce lifetime interest payments. Borrowers who refinance may see lower monthly payments and a more sustainable mortgage which will reduce the risk of default. This expansion of HARP will assist the Enterprises in managing the credit risk associated with these higher loan-to-value mortgages.

Fact sheet included

Background Briefing on the Situation in Honduras
Source: U.S. Department of State
Transcript of teleconference background briefing by two senior State Department officials.

Nearly 44 Million in United States Without Health Insurance in 2008
Source: National Center for Health Statistics

An estimated 43.8 million Americans had no health insurance in 2008, approximately 2.8 million more than in 1997, according to new data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

The report, “Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2008,” presents the latest insurance estimates for the United States.

The report also contains new estimates of health insurance coverage for the 20 largest states, and shows Massachusetts had the lowest percentage of uninsured individuals under age 65 (3.4 percent) in 2008. In contrast, approximately 1 in 4 persons under age 65 lacked coverage in Florida and Texas, and 1 in 5 lacked coverage in Arizona, California and Georgia. Nationally, 16.7 percent of those under age 65 were uninsured in 2008.

The report provides information on both private and public insurance coverage. Among the states examined, private coverage rates for people under age 65 ranged from 78.9 percent in Massachusetts to 56.2 percent in Florida. Nationally, 65.4 percent of people under age 65 had private health insurance coverage.

The report also includes data on children under the age of 18 and shows that the percentage of children with no health insurance was 8.9 percent in 2008, the same as in 2007, but down significantly from 13.9 percent in 1997. A total of 34.2 percent of children had public health coverage. Among the states examined in this report, public coverage for children ranged from 22 percent in New Jersey to 41 percent in Georgia and North Carolina.

In a second report also released today, “Health Insurance Coverage Trends, 1959-2007: Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey” (PDF: 330 KB), NCHS researchers examined insurance coverage trends during both the pre-and-post-Medicare/Medicaid periods.

Recovery Act Funding for Community Health Centers
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
State-by-state listing

Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility criteria released
Source: Headquarters Marine Corps

Manpower’s Plans and Policy Division released Marine Administrative Message 389-09 on June 29, listing eligibility criteria for the Post -9/11 GI Bill, which takes effect August 1.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008, signed into law on June 30, 2008, by former President George W. Bush, expands education benefits to service members who served on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

The new program will include coverage of tuition and fees, an improved basic allowance for housing, a $1,000 stipend for books or the opportunity to transfer these benefits to a dependent. Also, service members will not have to pay into the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which was required to receive the Montgomery GI Bill. Individuals who paid the $1,200 for the MGIB are eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and will receive their money back upon depletion of the 36 months of benefits.

Active duty or reserve service members who collectively served at least 90 days on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, will be considered for determining the individual’s eligibility for the new benefits. Individuals honorably discharged for a service-connected disability who served 30 consecutive days after Sept. 10, 2001, may also establish eligibility.

+ Post 9/11 GI Bill Eligibility and Benefits
+ U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Gi Bill website

Consumers in Europe
Source: Eurostat

The 2009 edition of the Panorama ‘Consumers in Europe’ presents a comprehensive set of data and related information concerning consumer markets and consumer protection issues within the European Union. The aim of the publication is to bring together the most relevant and useful information for the evaluation and development of consumer policy, not only as a tool for policy-makers,but also for those interested in end-markets and consumer affairs, such as representative organisations, public authorities, or suppliers of goods and services. Much of the data that has been used will feed into the consumer markets scoreboard which has been designed to monitor outcomes in the single market and to make European Union policy in this area more responsive to the expectations and concerns of consumers.

+ Direct link to document (PDF; 12.1 MB)

High Speed Internet Enables Growth, Job Creation and Good Governance
Source: World Bank

+ Access to affordable broadband Internet and mobile phone services enables development across all levels of the economy and society

+ Governments should work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers

+ Information technology services industries create jobs, especially among youth

+ Modern, technology-enabled governments are more efficient, transparent and responsive

Selected chapters available; full report available for purchase.

Governance Matters VIII: Aggregate and Individual Governance Indicators, 1996-2008
Source: World Bank Policy Research Working Papers (via SSRN)

This paper reports on the 2009 update of the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) research project, covering 212 countries and territories and measuring six dimensions of governance between 1996 and 2008: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption. These aggregate indicators are based on hundreds of specific and disaggregated individual variables measuring various dimensions of governance, taken from 35 data sources provided by 33 different organizations. The data reflect the views on governance of public sector, private sector and NGO experts, as well as thousands of citizen and firm survey respondents worldwide. We also explicitly report the margins of error accompanying each country estimate. These reflect the inherent difficulties in measuring governance using any kind of data. We find that even after taking margins of error into account, the WGI permit meaningful cross-country comparisons as well as monitoring progress over time.

Several options available for retrieval of full text.

Global Economic Turmoil Having Dramatic Effects on Capital Flows to Developing Countries
Source: World Bank

Amidst global economic recession and financial-market fragility, net private capital inflows to developing countries fell to $707 billion in 2008, a sharp drop from a peak of $1.2 trillion in 2007. International capital flows are projected to fall further in 2009, to $363 billion.

Global Development Finance 2009: Charting a Global Recovery, warns that the world is entering an era of slower growth that will require tighter and more effective oversight of the financial system. Developing countries are expected to grow by only 1.2% this year, after 8.1% growth in 2007 and 5.9% growth in 2008. When China and India are excluded, GDP in the remaining developing countries is projected to fall by 1.6%, causing continued job losses and throwing more people into poverty. Global growth is also expected to be negative, with an expected 2.9% contraction of global GDP in 2009.

Global GDP growth is expected to rebound to 2% in 2010 and 3.2% by 2011. In developing countries growth is expected to be higher, at 4.4 % in 2010 and 5.7 % in 2011, albeit subdued relative to the robust performance prior to the current crisis.

Download in sections (PDFs) or as full report (PDF; 4.4 MB).

Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff
Source: White House

Today, the White House publicly disclosed its Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff.

Since 1995, the White House has been required to deliver a report to Congress listing the title and salary of every White House Office employee. Consistent with President Obama’s commitment to transparency, this report is being publicly disclosed on our website as it is transmitted to Congress. In addition, this report also contains the title and salary details of administration officials who work at the Office of Policy Development, including the Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council — along with White House Office employees.

+ Full Report (PDF; 171 KB)

Searchable table also available.

The Dangers & Health Costs of Deficient Roadways (PDF; 1.1 MB)
Source: Transportation Construction Coalition
From press release (American Road & Transportation Builders Association):

More than half of U.S. highway fatalities are related to deficient roadway conditions – a substantially more lethal factor than drunk driving, speeding or non-use of safety belts according to a landmark study released today. Ten roadway-related crashes occur every minute (5.3 million a year) and also contribute to 38 percent of non-fatal injuries, the report found.

In revealing that deficiencies in the roadway environment contributed to more than 22,000 fatalities and cost the nation more than $217 billion annually, the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) concluded that making the roadway environment more protective and forgiving is essential to reducing highway fatalities and costs.

Companies Stockpiling Cash, Credit Access Still Tight, AFP Survey Shows
Source: Association for Financial Professionals

With little easing in access to credit, U.S. organizations are continuing to stockpile cash, according the Association for Financial Professionals’ 2009 Liquidity Survey. Almost three-quarters (72%) of companies had increased or maintained their U.S. cash balances during the first part of 2009.

According to the new AFP survey, 42% of organizations increased their U.S. cash and short-term investment balances between December 2008 and May 2009, while 30% saw no significant change in short-term cash balances. More than a quarter (28%) of organizations saw their U.S. cash and short-term investment balances deteriorate over the six-month period. Organizations with non-investment grade ratings were more likely to have seen their cash and short-term investment balances shrink.

+ AFP 2009 Liquidity Survey (PDF; 305 KB)