U.S. Census Bureau:The Week Ahead: Back to School

 

The Week Ahead: Back to School  Today is Monday, August 22, and it is Back to School preparation time. Yesterday, August 21, was National Senior Citizens Day. Friday, August 26, is Women's Equality Day. Saturday, August 27, is National Petroleum Day. View our Stats for Stories page for more upcoming observances. As students head back to school   , unpack education-related Census Bureau data and share our Statistics in Schools digital resources with the teachers, parents, and caregivers you know. Explore Summer is ending. It’s time to get back to school!   Teachers: To celebrate the occasion with your students, have them explore statistics on how our nation’s students and teachers get ready for a return to the classroom. Download our handout and be sure to share it with parents and caregivers. Read More

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration:Review of the Independent Office of Appeals Collection Due Process Program.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) today released the following:

Audit Report:    

• Read the Report:  Review of the Independent Office of Appeals Collection Due Process Program.
  

 

 

Email Address: TIGTACommunications@tigta.treas.gov

Phone Number: 202-622-6500 

Website: http://www.tigta.gov

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This email was sent to politikimx@gmail.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration · 901 D Street, SW, Suite 600 · Washington, D.C. 20024-2169 · (800) 366-4484

IMF update

 

Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below.  Crypto is More in Step With Asia’s Equities, Highlighting Need for Regulation (PHOTO: BEHNAM NOROUZI/UNSPLASH) By Nada Choueiri, Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf and Tara Iyer 中文, 日本語 Few parts of the world have embraced crypto assets like Asia, where top adopters include individual and institutional investors from India to Vietnam and Thailand. This raises the important issue of the extent of integration of crypto into the financial system in Asia. While digitalization can aid in the transition to an environmentally-conscious payment system and also foster financial inclusion, crypto can pose financial stability risks. Before the pandemic, crypto seemed insulated from the financial system. Bitcoin and other assets showed little correlation with Asian equity markets, which helped diffuse financial stability concerns. Crypto trading, however, soared as millions stayed home and received government aid, while low interest rates and easy financing conditions also played a role. The total market value of the world’s crypto assets surged 20-fold in just a year and a half to $3 trillion in December. Then it plunged to less than $1 trillion in June as central bank interest rate increases to contain inflation ended easy access to cheap borrowing. While the financial sector appears to have been insulated from these sharp movements, it may not be in future boom-bust cycles. Contagion could spread through individual or institutional investors that may hold both crypto and traditional financial assets or liabilities. Large losses on crypto may drive these investors to rebalance their portfolios, possibly causing financial-market volatility or even default on traditional liabilities. As Asian investors piled into crypto, the correlation between the performance of the region’s equity markets and crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum has increased. While the returns and volatility correlations between Bitcoin and Asian equity markets were low before the pandemic, these have increased significantly since 2020. For example, the return correlations of Bitcoin and Indian stock markets have increased by 10-fold over the pandemic, suggesting limited risk diversification benefits of crypto. The volatility correlations have increased by 3-fold suggesting possible spillovers of risk sentiment among the crypto and equity markets. Key drivers of the increased interconnectedness of crypto and equity markets in Asia could include growing acceptance of crypto-related platforms and investment vehicles in the stock market and at the over-the-counter market, or more generally growing crypto adoption by retail and institutional investors in Asia, many of whom have positions in both the equity and crypto markets. Using the spillover methodology developed in our January Global Financial Stability Note, we also find that the rise in crypto-equity correlations in Asia has been accompanied by a sharp rise in crypto-equity volatility spillovers in India, Vietnam, and Thailand. This indicates a growing interconnectedness between the two asset classes that permits the transmission of shocks that can impact financial markets. Accordingly, authorities in Asia are increasingly sensitive to the rising risks posed by crypto as adoption continues to spread. They have therefore dialed up their focus on crypto regulation, and regulatory frameworks are underway in several countries including India, Vietnam and Thailand. A significant effort is also needed to address important data gaps that still prevent domestic and international regulators from fully understanding ownership and use of crypto and its intersection with the traditional financial sector. Regulatory frameworks for crypto in Asia should be tailored to the main uses of such assets within the countries. They should establish clear guidelines on regulated financial institutions and seek to inform and protect retail investors. Finally, to be fully effective, crypto regulation should be closely coordinated across jurisdictions. Jeff Kearns Managing Editor IMF Blog jkearns@IMF.org   Thank you again for your interest in IMF Blog. Read more of our latest content here. Take good care!

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT update

European
Parliament
POSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT adopted at first reading on 6 July 2022 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2022/… of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to alleviate the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on fishing activities and to mitigate the effects of the market disruption caused by that war of aggression on the supply chain of fishery and aquaculture products - TC1-COD-2022-011

22/08/2022

***I
POSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
adopted at first reading on 6 July 2022 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2022/… of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to alleviate the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on fishing activities and to mitigate the effects of the market disruption caused by that war of aggression on the supply chain of fishery and aquaculture products
(EP-PE_TC1-COD(2022)0118)
Λεπτομερής ανάλυση - Economic repercussions of Russia’s war on Ukraine – Weekly Digest 19 August 2022 - 19-08-2022

21/08/2022

This paper provides a summary of recent economic, financial and budgetary decisions and developments following President Vladimir Putin’s decision of 24 February to start a military attack against Ukraine. It includes recent information relating to the EU sanctions regime, recent economic estimates, and policies supporting economic and financial resilience, including the coordination of national economic and fiscal measures. It also highlights policy recommendations made in the public domain to mitigate any adverse economic, financial and social effects and to support economic recovery in the EU and the Euro Area.
Latest news - ENVI Committee meetings - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

22/08/2022
The next ENVI Committee meetings will take place in Brussels on:Tuesday, 30 August 2022, 14:30-15:30

Thursday, 8 September 2022, 09:00-12:30

Work in progress - ENVI ITER listing (Updated 22.08.2022)
Overview of the timelines for the climate package 2030 in ENVI
Watch ENVI meetings live
Latest votes in ENVI
Highlights - EU Defence Industry Reinforcement through common procurement - 31.8.22 - Committee on Budgets

22/08/2022



Commission's Director-General for Defence Industry and Space, Mr Timo Pesonen, and Director-General for Budget, Mr Gert Jan Koopman will present the proposal "European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act". The Instrument aims to address the most urgent and critical needs for defence products, resulting from Russia's aggression against Ukraine. It would mobilise EUR 500 million of EU budget from 2022 to 2024.

This short-term instrument will pave the way to an EU framework for defence joint procurement. To this end, in the third quarter of 2022, the Commission will propose a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP) regulation.

Proposal for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act
Highlights - Debate on strengthening EU's semiconductor ecosystem (Chips Act) - 31.08.22 - Committee on Budgets

22/08/2022



BUDG Members will exchange views on the draft opinion on the Chips Act. In a context where events have shown the fragility of the highly complex and interdependent semiconductor value, the Chips Act proposal by the Commission aims to create a state-of-the-art European chips ecosystem, including production, "from the lab to the fab".

In his draft opinion, the rapporteur fully supports the ambition to make the EU a leader in the field of semiconductors. However, he considers that such an ambitious proposal should involve an equally ambitious and realistic budgetary architecture, while the Commission proposes that the EUR 3,3 billion dedicated to the Initiative from the EU budget be allocated by reducing resources for existing, successful programmes that are in many cases already stretched to fund deserving projects.

Commission page on the Chips Act
Procedure file
ΘΕΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΟΥ ΚΟΙΝΟΒΟΥΛΙΟΥ που καθορίστηκε σε πρώτη ανάγνωση στις 6 Ιουλίου 2022 εν όψει της έγκρισης κανονισμού (ΕΕ) 2022/... του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου για την τροποποίηση του κανονισμού (ΕΕ) αριθ. 508/2014 όσον αφορά ειδικά μέτρα για την άμβλυνση των συνεπειών του επιθετικού πολέμου της Ρωσίας κατά της Ουκρανίας στις αλιευτικές δραστηριότητες και για τον μετριασμό των επιπτώσεων της διατάραξης της αγοράς που προκλήθηκε από τον εν λόγω επιθετικό πόλεμο στην εφοδιαστικ

22/08/2022


***I
ΘΕΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΟΥ ΚΟΙΝΟΒΟΥΛΙΟΥ
που καθορίστηκε σε πρώτη ανάγνωση στις 6 Ιουλίου 2022 εν όψει της έγκρισης κανονισμού (ΕΕ) 2022/... του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου για την τροποποίηση του κανονισμού (ΕΕ) αριθ. 508/2014 όσον αφορά ειδικά μέτρα για την άμβλυνση των συνεπειών του επιθετικού πολέμου της Ρωσίας κατά της Ουκρανίας στις αλιευτικές δραστηριότητες και για τον μετριασμό των επιπτώσεων της διατάραξης της αγοράς που προκλήθηκε από τον εν λόγω επιθετικό πόλεμο στην εφοδιαστική αλυσίδα της αλιείας και της υδατοκαλλιέργειας
(EP-PE_TC1-COD(2022)0118)
Answer to a written question - Investment in R&D in the European Union - E-002418/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002418/2022
Answer to a written question - Innovative approaches to mental health - E-002209/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002209/2022
Answer to a written question - Blockade of exports from Morocco to Ceuta and Melilla - E-001938/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-001938/2022
Answer to a written question - State of play on the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement - E-002287/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002287/2022
Answer to a written question - Bab al-Hawa humanitarian aid corridor - E-002526/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002526/2022
Answer to a written question - Serious socio-economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka - E-002621/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022
Answer to a written question - Measures to bridge the R&I gap between EU countries - E-002313/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002313/2022
Answer to a written question - Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Hong Kong - E-002233/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022
Answer to a written question - Worrying delays in the implementation of the Just Transition Fund - E-002073/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002073/2022
Answer to a written question - Access for all to blood and plasma donation - P-002423/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : P-002423/2022
Answer to a written question - Vaccination of children - P-002605/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : P-002605/2022
Answer to a written question - Amendment of Directive 2014/40/EU by delegated act – possible overstepping of powers granted to the Commission - P-002573/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : P-002573/2022

Answer to a written question - EU-US liquid natural gas supply agreement (II) - E-002277/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002277/2022, E-002278/2022, E-002279/2022

Answer to a written question - Delay in the implementation of cohesion policy - E-002487/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002487/2022
Answer to a written question - Funding from the Just Transition Fund for the Konin lignite mining region - E-002517/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002517/2022
Answer to a written question - Covert financing of EU political parties - E-002013/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002013/2022
Answer to a written question - Appointment of constitutional court judges - E-002599/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : E-002599/2022
Answer to a written question - Commission acquisition strategy for vaccine doses – Part 2 - P-001357/2022(ASW)

22/08/2022

See question(s) : P-001357/2022

ΑPEC update

APEC Bulletin 23 August 2022


Keeping up with Trade Costs: How to keep it down?
APEC Secretariat


Trade is pricy amid crisis and disruption. Here are three recommendations by APEC analysts to ease the pain.

There has been no shortage of economic news in the last couple of months—increased food and energy prices, high borrowing costs, a climate-related energy crisis, widening trade deficits posted by the region’s important hubs, production shifts, inflation, warnings of a semiconductor oversupply—it is becoming difficult for observers to keep up.

Amid uncertainty and disruptions, one thing is clear: gone are the days of stable and reliable global supply chain hubs central to trade networks. These trade hubs were an unappreciated golden goose. They have proven to be effective, efficient, and reassuring. But the comfort of a centralized trade network overlooks the risk and fragility it inherently poses.

It was the hope this year that businesses and social activities may slowly return to some sort of normalcy. The pandemic has made a huge dent in economic activity and it has transformed the world as we know it, changed the way we live, challenged the status quo and shaken the traditional architecture of global trade and supply chains.

In a report by the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU), analysts presented two differing views of global trade and supply chains under COVID-19. While it has been relatively resilient during the pandemic, global trade is currently undergoing substantial reconfiguration to regain its rhythm.

“Global trade is conducted through a network of value chains,” explained Dr Akhmad Bayhaqi, a PSU senior analyst. “Like a complex circulatory system, when value chains are functioning well, they rarely become the center of attention. However, since the start of the pandemic, supply chains have been high on people’s and policymakers’ minds.”

“Just at the early stages of the pandemic, global trade collapsed by almost 16 percent,” he added. “The outlook is concerning, especially without tangible measures to tackle rising trade costs and facilitating complex supply chain networks.”

To put the narrative into perspective, Dr Bayhaqi and his co-authors, Nguyen Thu Quynh and Emmanuel San Andres, reviewed trade costs in APEC over the last two decades. Between 2000 and 2018, the average for APEC economies declined by 8.5 percent, from 129 percent to 118 percent in ad valorem tariff equivalent terms. While global trade costs spiked in 2009 and 2020, the APEC region showed a degree of resiliency, with its trade costs increasing slower than the world as a whole.

This could be credited in part to APEC’s continuous efforts on trade facilitation—including the first and second Trade Facilitation Action Plan and the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan—where member economies simplify and rationalize customs and other administrative procedures that hinder, delay, or increase the cost of moving goods across international borders.

“Trade cost is an essential determinant of trade,” said Dr Bayhaqi. “With global trade now dominated by trade in intermediate goods, lower trade costs could facilitate global supply chain participation and growth.”

Despite showing a certain resiliency, trade costs in the APEC region remain at risk, especially with additional inflationary pressure. Keeping trade costs relatively low while continuing to facilitate supply chain networks to be more resilient is key to a robust economic recovery.

The first recommendation laid out in the report is to invest in trade facilitation reforms and facilities to resolve supply chain bottlenecks. Implementing the trade facilitation measures in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, further streamlining trade processes and clearance requirements, providing improved access to transport infrastructure as well as facilitating vibrant domestic logistics providers are some concrete actions to consider.

The second recommendation to reduce trade costs and improve the resiliency of supply chain networks, was made to prevent supply chain disruption to essential products such as chemicals, medical supplies, personal protective equipment and medical equipment. Member economies may consider supporting supplier diversification; taking steps to ensuring a trusted, rules-based trading environment; and creating a responsive regulatory environment. It becomes particularly important for governments to help firms diversify their portfolio of suppliers when disruptions happen.

The last recommendation from the Policy Support Unit is to strengthen coordination and regional cooperation when adopting economic policy. Re-shoring production, promoting self-sufficiency and unwinding trade integration may seem like the best options, however it can yield the opposite effect and create unwanted spillover in other economies.

“Ensuring transparency and predictability of trade policies will facilitate coordination and cooperation as it helps traders minimize costs and anticipate sudden policy changes,” Dr Bayhaqi concluded.

κ. ΓΙΩΡΓΟΥ ΑΡΒΑΝΙΤΙΔΗ,ΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΟΥ ΠΑ.ΣΟ.Κ-ΚΙΝ.ΑΛ. ενημέρωση

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ προς τον Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ.Κ.Σκρέκα  ΘΕΜΑ: Να αποκατασταθούν οι αδικίες του Power Pass από λάθος του συστήματος Ο Γιώργος Αρβανιτίδης βουλευτής Β’ Θεσσαλονίκης και Αρμόδιος Τομεάρχης Ενέργειας και Περιβάλλοντος του ΠΑΣΟΚ-Κινήματος Αλλαγής, ορμώμενος από τις αδικίες που προέκυψαν κατά την επιστροφή χρημάτων του Power Pass εξαιτίας λαθών του συστήματος, απηύθυνε ερώτηση προς τον Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Κ.Σκρέκα, ζητώντας να ενημερωθεί εάν είναι γνώστης αυτών των αδικιών και τι προτίθεται να κάνει για την αποκατάστασή τους.

ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΔΩ ΤΟ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΥ ΑΡΒΑΝΙΤΙΔΗ

ΔΗΛΩΣΗ για τις αυξήσεις στα τιμολόγια ενέργειας Ο Γιώργος Αρβανιτίδης βουλευτής Β' Θεσσαλονίκης και αρμόδιος Τομεάρχης Ενέργειας και Περιβάλλοντος του ΠΑΣΟΚ-Κινήματος Αλλαγής ορμώμενος από τις νέες αυξήσεις στην τιμή της κιλοβατώρας που πρόκειται να σημειωθούν από τον Σεπτέμβριο προέβη μέσω του TheOpinion.gr στην ακόλουθη δήλωση: Από την εποχή των “κόκκινων” δανείων περνάμε στην εποχή των “κόκκινων” λογαριασμών ρεύματος, όταν σχεδόν ένας στους δυο λογαριασμούς μένουν απλήρωτοι, συσσωρεύοντας οφειλές ύψους 1 δισεκ. ευρώ. Τα νέα αυξημένα τιμολόγια των ενεργειακών εταιρειών που ανακοινώθηκαν προχθές, με τιμές κοντά στο 1 ευρώ η Κιλοβατώρα προφανώς και θα επιδεινώσουν αυτή την κατάσταση από το Φθινόπωρο. Η εξέλιξη αυτή φανερώνει ότι τα πολυδιαφημισμένα μέτρα της Κυβέρνησης που θέσπισε πριν από περίπου δυο μήνες για την άμβλυνση των οικονομικών συνεπειών της ενεργειακής κρίσης, βασίστηκαν σε λανθασμένες εκτιμήσεις και είναι στον “αέρα”. Οι ατελέσφορες αυτές παρεμβάσεις δημιουργούν μεγάλη ανασφάλεια στους καταναλωτές. Για μια ακόμα φορά το ΠΑΣΟΚ – Κίνημα Αλλαγής καταθέτει την πρότασή του για άμεση εφαρμογή πλαφόν στην τιμή λιανικής στα ενεργειακά τιμολόγια και καλεί την Κυβέρνηση να ενισχύσει τα νοικοκυριά και τις επιχειρήσεις με επιδοτήσεις σε έργα μόνιμης μείωσης του ενεργειακού τους κόστους και να μην επαφίεται σε προσωρινές επιδοτήσεις μόνο των λογαριασμών.

Άρθρο στην εφημερίδα Μακεδονία της Κυριακής "Εξεταστική επί της ουσίας και όχι για τις εντυπώσεις" Ο Γιώργος Αρβανιτίδης βουλευτής Β' Θεσσαλονίκης και Αναπληρωτής Γραμματέας της Κοινοβουλευτικής Ομάδας του ΠΑΣΟΚ-Κινήματος Αλλαγής, σε άρθρο του στη Μακεδονία της Κυριακής τοποθετείται για την υποκλοπή του κινητού του προέδρου του ΠΑΣΟΚ-Κινήματος Αλλαγής, Νίκου Ανδρουλάκη και την εξεταστική που πρόκειται να συσταθεί για αυτό. Όπως χαρακτηριστικά αναφέρει ο Γιώργος Αρβανιτίδης στο άρθρο του: Βρισκόμαστε μπροστά στην έναρξη μιας «θερμής» πολιτικής περιόδου. Βασικό άξονα της πολιτικής αντιπαράθεσης για τους επόμενους μήνες θα αποτελέσει η εξεταστική επιτροπή στη Βουλή για την διερεύνηση των καταγγελιών παρακολούθησης του προέδρου μας Νίκου Ανδρουλάκη. Μια υπόθεση που στην αρχή πολλοί υποτίμησαν και η Κυβέρνηση ήθελε να ξεχαστεί γρήγορα μέσα στην ραστώνη του Καλοκαιριού. Οι αποκαλύψεις που πήραν την μορφή…”τσουνάμι” δεν πρέπει να σταματήσουν εδώ. Η εξεταστική που θα συσταθεί οφείλει να διερευνήσει τόσο την παρακολούθηση του κινητού του προέδρου μας από την ΕΥΠ, όσο και την απόπειρα παρακολούθησης του από το σύστημα Predator. Τα ερωτήματα που βάζουμε διαρκώς προς την Κυβέρνηση πρέπει να απαντηθούν θεσμικά και ξεκάθαρα: Ποιος ζήτησε και για ποιο λόγο την παρακολούθηση του Νίκου Ανδρουλάκη αλλά και ποιος αποπειράθηκε να εγκαταστήσει στο κινητό του το σύστημα Predator.

ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΔΩ ΤΟ ΑΡΘΡΟ ΤΟΥ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΥ ΑΡΒΑΝΙΤΙΔΗ

 

NASA's Earth Observatory :LATEST IMAGES FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS

AUGUST 22, 2022 Natural Events

LATEST IMAGES FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS view archive of natural events

Greening the Gulf of Finland Blue-green algae are thriving in warmer-than-normal waters this summer. (Aug 11, 2022)       Deep Concern About Food Security in Eastern Africa The Horn of Africa is facing drought and crop failures after four inadequate rainy seasons. (Aug 12, 2022)       Burning in Botswana As the country entered the late dry season, the landscape was primed for burning. (Aug 15, 2022)

NASA | 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771