The Scout Report for Business & Economics - October 7, 1999

October 7, 1999

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The target audience of the new Scout Report for Business & Economics is faculty, students, staff, and librarians in business and economics. Each biweekly issue offers a selective collection of Internet resources covering topics in the field that have been chosen by librarians and content specialists in the given area of study.

The Scout Report for Business & Economics is also provided via email once every two weeks. Subscription information is included at the bottom of each issue.


In This Issue

Research

Learning Resources

General Interest

Current Awareness

New Data

In The News


Research

W-2 Child Support Evaluation project: Initial findings [.pdf, 379K]
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/irp/all.pdf
The Institute for Research on Poverty offers this 118-page report on their initial findings on Wisconsin Works's effects on child support. Wisconsin Works (W-2) was implemented in September 1997 as a replacement for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). All participants in the program are required to work in order to get cash assistance. The report is divided into five chapters, including an introduction to W-2; the child support policy changes that took place as part of the program; early outcomes of the program including child support, income, and government cost; and a summary. The study charts the relative successes and failures of the program to this point. [EM][DC]
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The Economic and Social Impacts of Electronic Commerce: Preliminary Findings and Research Agenda [.pdf]
http://www.oecd.org/subject/e_commerce/summary.htm
Electronic Commerce has been in existence for little more than three years, but due to its enormous capacity to affect "economic activities and social environments," it has already had a huge impact on retail, finance, and communications, representing 30 percent of GDP. This 156-page report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development examines the past and potential impact that e-commerce promises to have on business and the economy. The report is broken into five chapters, which need to be downloaded separately, including "Growth of electronic commerce: present and potential," "Electronic commerce, jobs and skills," and "Societal implications of electronic commerce," each with its own set of charts and graphs. A report summary is also included. [EM]
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What Caused Asia's Economic and Currency Crisis and Its Global Contagion?
http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~nroubini/asia/AsiaHomepage.htm
Created and maintained by Nouriel Roubini, Associate Professor of Economics and International Business, Stern School of Business at New York University, as well as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs for the US Treasury Department, this comprehensive collection of online resources is dedicated to the Asian Economic Crisis. While the organization of the site could be tighter, there is a wealth of information here dating from 1997 to the present and covering topics from Brazil and Latin America to "G-7 Macroeconomic Issues, Policy Coordination and Target Zone Controversies." The site also includes basic readings on the Asian Crisis, recent articles on a variety of related issues, working papers and publications, and electronic mailing lists. This site is vital to anyone interested in the Asian Economic Crisis. [EM]
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World Bank Annual Report 1999
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extpb/annrep/
"Fiscal year 1999 (FY99) was a year of continued -- and formidable -- challenges," begins the World Bank Annual Report 1999. It goes on to list the financial crises in Brazil, Asia, and Russia and the natural disasters that struck the Caribbean, Asia, and Central America. And through it all, the World Bank was there. This report charts global economic progress and explains the World Bank's involvement in many aspects of the world economy. Broken into smaller reports, World Bank's annual report looks at the surprising rise of poverty, the issues surrounding Y2K and banking assistance, and the progress in anti-corruption efforts, among other issues. Also included are letters from the chairman, highlights, and summaries of improved projects. [EM]
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World Economic Outlook (WEO) -- IMF [.pdf]
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/1999/02/index.htm
This semi-annual comprehensive survey of the outlook of the world economy, from the staff of the International Monetary Fund, looks at world economic developments and future prospects. WEO considers the challenges of global adjustments in areas including the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, as well as the emerging market economies. Each chapter needs to be downloaded separately in .pdf format. This report also links to the new WEO Database. [EM]
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Learning Resources

Society for Electronic Commerce and Rights Management
http://www.ecarm.org/
Started in 1998 as a daily mailing list, The Society for Electronic Commerce and Rights Management (ECARM), (mailing list reviewed in the February 6. 1998 Scout Report) has grown into a not-for-profit agency focused on "the fostering and enabling of Electronic Commerce and Rights Management" by creating an online community; providing educational material by way of its mailing list, discussion groups, and links; and conducting research and analysis. Interested visitors may sign up for the mailing or discussion lists, view the current issue of the quarterly E*Journal, or read the weekly cartoon "eKarma." [EM]
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Business Basics for the Workplace
http://www2.conferenceboard.ca/busbasics/en/wbcont.htm
This interactive workbook, from the Conference Board of Canada, aims to help its users understand basic business concepts. The introduction includes a quick quiz to test your business knowledge. Each chapter illustrates its points by following the progress of Newco Inc, a fictional company that serves as a case study. The site also contains charts and graphs, and workbook sections where users can record their own thoughts and ideas. [EM]
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Silicon Valley Companies Database
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/companies/db/
Created by Mercury Center, this database offers financial information and company background for the 150 largest publicly traded companies in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is defined as the cities of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara, as well as the southern sections of San Mateo and Alameda counties. The database is searchable by company name, stock symbol, 1997 sales, industry type, product, and location. Clear, detailed instructions will help users best use the database. The search results link to company homepages and charted stock prices. [EM]
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Fed in Print: An Index to Federal Reserve Economic Research
http://www.frbsf.org/system/fedinprint/
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco presents this database of federal reserve economic research. Search the database by criteria including bank, publication name, keyword, or title. Also included are several handy search tips to help users navigate this system. [EM]
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Business Research at Florida Gulf Coast University
http://library.fgcu.edu/Subjects/Business/bushome.htm
The Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Library has gathered a large collection of online business resources. The site is divided into two main sections. Business Guides, which contains topics such as Banking, Market Research, and Company Information, features bibliographies of print materials found at FGCU. If users scroll down to the end of each topic section, however, they will find a collection of partially annotated online resources. The second section, Internet Guides, is divided by resource types including Internet Business Libraries, Annual Reports, Working Papers, and Business Search Engines. Entries into this category are also partially annotated. [EM]
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General Interest

Encyclopedia of the New Economy
http://hotwired.lycos.com/special/ene/
From "Adhocracy" to "Zero-sum," HotWired and Anderson Consulting have published a comprehensive encyclopedia of terms, with definitions, and uses in business contexts. Words and phrases are organized in alphabetical order. A short introduction to the New Economy is also included. [EM]
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Business-to-Business auctions -- Inc. Online
http://www.inc.com/articles/details/0,,ART13544_CNT53,00.html
Online auctions are increasing in popularity among Internet-using consumers, and now businesses are beginning to participate, auctioning everything from conference tables to 100-pound rolls of bubble wrap. This article, from Inc. Online, looks at the advantages that auctioning online offers businesses. Also included is a list of sites where businesses may want to conduct auctions, as well as sites to get the tools needed for businesses to conduct their own auctions. [EM]
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Ad Critic [Quicktime]
http://www.adcritic.com/
Ad Critic strives to enter every television advertisement into its database of online commercials, which can be downloaded for free and viewed with QuickTime. A complete list of advertisements is indexed by company and by ad title. There are, however, also indexes of newly added ads, most-downloaded ads, movie trailers, and music found in ads, making it easier for users to search for a new or favorite advertisement. Ad Critic includes a section on advertising news and commentary and provides services for advertising agencies including online market research and detailed viewer statistics. [EM]
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Annual Review of Football Finance [.pdf]
http://www.deloitte.co.uk/news/arff99.htm
From the London offices of Deloitte and Touche, this report looks at the economy surrounding the English Professional Football Clubs. A synopsis of the report is immediately available, but interested users must complete a free registration form before viewing the full report, which may be downloaded in .pdf format. The report includes a synopsis of highlights, a review of football finances, and supplemental articles including "Football in the City: The Impact of Flotation," "The 'Gap': Premier League/Football League Divides," and "European Leagues." [EM]
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Hoovers
http://www.hoovers.com/
Hoover's Online (first reviewed in the September 29, 1995 Scout Report) has been updated. It now includes information on about 50,000 companies, more than 3,000 links to news sources in its news library, and listings of weekly IPOs. Hoover's strives to be the comprehensive Website for business professionals. [EM]
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Current Awareness
(For links to additional current awareness on tables of contents, abstracts, preprints, new books, data, conferences, etc., visit the The Scout Report for Business & Economics Current Awareness Metapage: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/bus-econ/metapage/).

Working Papers

Federal Reserve System:
FRB Cleveland Economic Research Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/index.htm
Social Security's Treatment of Postwar Americans: How Bad Can It Get?
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9912.pdf
Optimal Monetary Policy in a Small Open Economy: A General Equilibrium Analysis
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9911.pdf
Timing and Real Indeterminacy in Monetary Models
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9910.pdf
Protection for Whom? Creditor Conflicts in Bankruptcy
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9909.pdf
Wage Adjustments: A Break from the Past
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9908.pdf
Banking and Commerce: A Liquidity Approach
http://www.clev.frb.org/Research/workpaper/1999/Wp9907.pdf
FRB Dallas Economic Research Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/erpapers.html
Has Monetary Policy Become Less Effective?
http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/pdfs/erpapers/99_04.pdf
Core Inflation: A Review of Some Conceptual Issues
http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/pdfs/erpapers/99_03.pdf

FRB Kansas City Research Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99.htm
Do the Spreads Between the E/P Ratio and Interest Rates Contain Information on Future Equity Market Movements?
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/PDF/rwp99-03.pdf

FRB Minneapolis Staff Reports [.pdf]
http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/
Threats to Industry Survival and Labor Productivity: World Iron-Ore Markets in the 1980's
http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/sr263.pdf

FRB Philadelphia Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.phil.frb.org/page.asp?page=workpapers99
Postwar Trends in Metropolitan Employment Growth: Decentralization and Deconcentration
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/1999/wp99-10.pdf
Measuring Housing Services Inflation
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/1999/wp99-9.pdf
A Welfare Comparison of Pre- and Post-WWII Business Cycles: Some Implications for the Role of Postwar Macroeconomic Policies
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/1999/wp99-2.pdf
What Explains the Dramatic Changes in Cost and Profit Performance of the U.S.
Banking Industry?
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/1999/wp99-1.pdf

FRB Richmond Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.rich.frb.org/wpapers/
Does State-Dependent Pricing Imply Coordination Failure?
http://www.rich.frb.org/wpapers/pdfs/wp99-5.pdf

FRB San Francisco Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/index.html
Eurosystem Monetary Targeting: Lessons from U.S. Data
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/wp99-13.pdf
Market Evidence on the Opaqueness of Banking Firms' Assets
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/wp99-11.pdf
Hidden Cost Reductions in Bank Mergers: Accounting for More Productive Banks
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/wp99-10.pdf
Heat Waves, Meteor Showers, and Trading Volume: An Analysis of Volatility Spillovers in the U.S. Treasury Market
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/wp99-09.pdf
Optimal Indicators of Socioeconomic Status for Health Research
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/workingp/wp99-03.pdf

Other Institutions:
World Bank Domestic Finance and Capital Markets Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/domfincapmkts.html
Market Discipline and Financial Safety Net Design
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2183/wps2183.pdf
Fiscal Adjustment and Contingent Government Liabilities: Case Studies of the Czech Republic and Macedonia
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2177/wps2177.pdf
Fiscal Risks and the Quality of Fiscal Adjustment in Hungary
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2176/wps2176.pdf
The Distributional Consequences of Monetary Policy: Evidence from Malaysia
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2170/wps2170.pdf

Bank of International Settlements Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Publications [.pdf]
http://www.bis.org/publ/pub_list.htm#BS
Year 2000 Cross-Border Communications between Supervisors during the Millennium Period
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs59.pdf
Gathering Year 2000 Information from Financial Institutions: Recommendations for Supervisors
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs58.pdf
Performance of Models-Based Capital Charges for Market Risk: 1 July-31 December 1998
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs57.pdf
Enhancing corporate governance in banking organisations
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs56.pdf
Sound Practices for Loan Accounting and Disclosure
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs55.pdf
Principles for the Management of Credit Risk
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs54.pdf
Best Practices for Credit Risk Disclosure
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs53.pdf
Supervisory Guidance for Managing Settlement Risk in Foreign Exchange Transactions
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs52.pdf
Intra-Group Transactions and Exposures and Risk Concentrations Principles
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs51.htm
A new capital adequacy framework
http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs50.htm

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Papers
http://www.oecd.org/eco/wp/onlinewp.htm
The use of financial market indicators by monetary authorities
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/1999doc.nsf/5f293a526e52eb79c125675a00318d4c/235b0823c8b7e736c12567ed004236bb/$FILE/09E98895.ENG

Institute for International Economics Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/1999/wp99.htm
Hazards and Precautions: Tales of International Finance
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/1999/99-11.pdf

Wharton Financial Institutions Center Working Papers [.pdf]
http://wrdsenet.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/wfic/papers/99.html
At Last the Internationalization of Retail Banking? The Case of the Spanish Banks in Latin America
http://wrdsenet.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/wfic/papers/99/9941.pdf
A Single-Server Queue with Markov Modulated Service Times
http://wrdsenet.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/wfic/papers/99/9940.pdf
Managing Learning and Turnover in Employee Staffing
http://wrdsenet.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/wfic/papers/99/9939.pdf
The Incentive Effects of No Fault Automobile Insurance
http://wrdsenet.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/wfic/papers/99/9938.pdf

Stockholm School of Economics Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance [.pdf]
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/
Income-Related Inequality in Life-Years and Quality-Adjusted Life-Years
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0334.pdf
The Dynamics of Capital Structure
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0333.pdf
Efficient estimation of price adjustment coefficients
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0332.pdf
Likelihood-Based Inference in Multivariate Panel Cointegration Models
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0331.pdf
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Periodicals

Federal Reserve System:
FRB Atlanta Economic Review
http://209.239.32.240/publica/eco-rev/rev_abs/3rd99.html
FRB Chicago AgLetter [.pdf]
http://www.frbchi.org/pubs-speech/publications/periodicals/aglet/agaug99.pdf
FRB Dallas Houston Business [.pdf]
http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/pdfs/houston/hb99_09.pdf
FRB Minneapolis The Region
http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/pubs/region/99-09/index.html
FRB New York Current Issues in Economics and Finance [.pdf]
http://www.ny.frb.org/rmaghome/curr_iss/ci5-13.pdf
FRB San Francisco Economic Research
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/wklyltr/wklyltr99/el99-30.html
FRB St. Louis International Economic Trends [.pdf]
http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/publications/iet/iet.pdf
The third quarterly installment of Economic Review from FRB Atlanta includes the articles "What Do Asset Prices Tell Us about the Future?," "The Banking Sector Rescue in Mexico," and "The Design of Wholesale Payments Networks: The Importance of Incentives." FRB Chicago's Ag Letter features a report on farmland values and credit conditions. The September 1999 issue of FRB Dallas's Houston Business contains the article "Insights from Several Corners of the Houston Economy." The Region is a quarterly publication from FRB Minneapolis; the September issue looks at the criteria for choosing Nobel Prize winners in Economics and the funding of minorities's start-up businesses, and contains an interview with Edward W. Kelley. The latest issue of Current Issues in Economics and Finance analyses the growth and stability of the US economy. The October 8, 1999 issue of Economic Research from FRB San Francisco focuses on depreciations and recessions. The featured articled in FRB St. Louis's International Economic Trends examines trade relations between Canada and the US. [EM]

International Monetary Fund Finance and Development
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1999/09/index.htm
The September 1999 issue of Finance and Development from the IMF features several articles on Financial Architecture including "Reforming the International Financial Architecture," "The Case Against Benign Neglect of Exchange Rate Stability," and "Moderating Fluctuations in Capital Flows to Emerging Market Economies." Also included are comprehensive reports on commodity prices, the international monetary system, and the financial situation in Asia. [EM]

Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
BIS Review [.pdf]
http://www.bis.org/review/index.htm
Recently released articles and speeches from the BIS Review include president of the European Central Bank, Willem Duisenberg's September 10, 1999 speech stabilizing the price of the euro, the remarks of Robert W. Ferguson, a member of the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors, on the impact of information technology on productivity growth, and a speech on the role of the South African Reserve Bank "in the economic integration in the South African Development Community," given by Tio Mboweni, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, at the University of Pretoria. [EM]

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Economic Outlook
http://www.aei.org/eo/eo10962.htm
The October 1999 issue of Economic Outlook features the topic "What Should Central Banks Do?" It examines the role of central banking at the end of the twentieth century. [EM]

World Bank Group
Findings
http://worldbank.org/aftdr/findings/english/find136.htm
Issue number 136 of The World Bank Group's Findings examines the Ghana Microfinance Institution (MFI) Action Research Network, which connects organizations interested in providing financial services with Ghana's poor. [EM]
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Books and Journals

Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Business -- October 1999
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M10/UBBS/ubbs17.html
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Economics -- October 1999
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M10/UBBS/ubbs16.html
Baker & Taylor lists business and economics books published in October 1999. [EM]

Econbase -- Elsevier
http://www.elsevier.nl/homepage/sae/econbase/menu.sht
The abstracts and tables of contents for the following journals are now available online: Japan and the World Economy (Vol 11, No 3), Journal of Economic Psychology (Vol 20, No 3), Regional Science and Urban Economics (Vol 29, No 5), International Journal of Forecasting (Vol 15, No 4), Journal of Financial Markets (Vol 2, No 3), Journal of Policy Modelling (Vol 21, No 4), and Land Use Policy (Vol 15, No 4). [EM]
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Conferences

Inomics Conference Calls:
Email Conference Alert
http://www.inomics.com/query/alert
Conference Search
http://www.inomics.com/query/conf_search
The economics research service Inomics (described in the June 18, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics) includes a conference alert service. Interested parties may specify their interests and receive email notifications of up-coming events, or they may search the Inomics conference database by date, geographic location, or JEL classification. [EM]

Conferences with Econometric Interest
http://www.eur.nl/few/ei/links/#conferences
The Royal Economics Society's Econometrics Journal site lists conferences in econometrics at this Econometric Links section. [EM]

European Business History Association (EBHA) Bordeaux 2000
http://www.univ-tlse1.fr/EBHA2000/
Hosted by the University of Bordeaux Political Sciences Institute, the EBHA conference will take place September 14-15, 2000. The featured topic is "Firms Committed to Internationalisation, Worldwide Expansion or Globalisation (19th- 20th century)." The Website is available in English and French. [EM]
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Jobs

Job Openings from The Chronicle of Higher Education
Job Openings in Economics
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/sscience/econ/links.htm
Job Openings in Business and Management
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/professional/business/links.htm

Job Openings for Economists (JOE)
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/joe/joe/

Inomics: Job Openings for Economists
http://www.inomics.com/query/job_search
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New Data

Federal Reserve Bank Board of Governors (FRB BOG)
US Reserve Assets and Foreign Official Assets Held at Federal Reserve Banks
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/releases/bulletin/pagea51.pdf
This monthly statistical release from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors examines the US Reserve Assets and foreign official assets that are held at FRBs. This report displays the past eight months's activities, measured by millions of dollars, in each of these two sectors. [EM]
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Census Bureau
"Household Income at Record High; Poverty Declines in 1998, Census Bureau Reports"
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-188.html
This press release from the US Census Bureau announces that the number of Americans living under the poverty level dropped to 12.7 percent in 1998. This marks the fourth year in a row in which the median household income has risen. This report breaks the data down demographically and highlights some of the more inclusive findings. [EM]
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Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Gross Domestic Product: Second Quarter 1999 (Final) Corporate Profits: Second Quarter 1999 (Revised)
http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/newsrel/gdp299f.htm
According the revised estimates of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis, real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the second quarter of 1999. Real personal consumption expenditures only increased 4.8 percent, 1.9 percent less than the first quarter. Real exports of foods and services increased 4.9 percent in the second quarter, as compared to 5.1 in the first quarter. [EM]
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Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Mass Layoffs (Monthly)
http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.toc.htm
This news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics examines layoffs in the US. The report looks at layoffs in July 1999, with tables including mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment, industry distribution, and state distribution. The report is linked to data on local area unemployment statistics. [EM]
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
1999 Agency Reports/ Schedule
http://www.usda.gov/news/calindex.htm
USDA summarizes its report releases from various sources (the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the World Agricultural Outlook Board) at this calendar site. Notable data for October 1999 include a summary of the new publication Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture from the Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture. [EM]
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In The News

NetAid Concert to Relieve World from Poverty
1) NetAid Official Site
http://www.netaid.org/
2) Cisco's NetAid Website
http://www.cisco.com/netaid/
3) The Complete Guide to the NetAid Concert
http://www.aloud.com/festivals/netaid.shtml
4) "Flashy launch for antipoverty Web site" -- CNet
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-114484.html
5) "All-star cast at NetAid launch" -- BBC
http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/newsid%5F441000/441545.stm
6) "Cisco: Net Will Be a Great Equalizer" -- PC World
http://www.pcworld.com:80/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,13070,00.html
7) "U.N. brings war on poverty online" -- ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2331067,00.html
8) "Bytes for the Hungry" -- ABCNews.com
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/netaid990921.html
In one of the most bizarre collaborations in digital history, Cisco Systems has teamed up with the United Nations to bring the world NetAid, a day-long musical charity event designed to help rid the world of poverty and promote world peace. On Saturday, October 9, 1999, a host of recording artists ranging from Busta Rhymes, Sting, the reunited Eurythmics, and David Bowie will be performing simultaneous concerts in New York City, London, and Geneva. The event will be broadcast free worldwide by television, radio, and most notably, in Webcast form, in hopes to bring recognition and money to five social action causes, including relieving the world's poorest countries from debt. World-renown rock musicians Bono and Wyclef Jean have organized the event with the help of LiveAid producer Harvey Goldsmith, and David Goldberg and Don Mischer, who together produced The Opening & Closing Ceremonies for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. NetAid's mission is "to harness this power [of the World Wide Web] and use the Internet as a medium of social and economic change." After the concert, NetAid hopes to inspire people to continue to strive to make the world a better place through the millennium. The NetAid Website asks users to sign a petition to end world debt and make a donation to NetAid. This week's In the News looks at this online happening through the following eight resources containing news, information, and official sites about this upcoming event.

The NetAid Official Site (1) is a one-stop Website for news, information, Real Audio clips of the official NetAid theme song, and explanations of NetAid philosophies, as well as a place to download streaming video of the event during the broadcast and to donate to the United Nations Development Programme. Cisco's NetAid Website (2) focuses on the technology, people, and ideas behind the event. Aloud.com's The Complete Guide to the NetAid Concert (3) looks at the event from a strictly entertainment perspective with ticket and netcast information. Both CNet (4) and the BBC (5) examine support for the event from US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, including their presence at the launching of the NetAid Website. PC World's coverage of the upcoming event (6) considers Cisco's role in NetAid, and how the company sees NetAid as an example of the ways in which a Website can be used as a forum for social, economic, and political action. ZDNet (7) covers NetAid's strategies to end world poverty and compares NetAid to large-scale media events in the past 20 years. ABCNews's article "Bytes for the Hungry" (8) examines the technology used to bring NetAid in to every computer-user's home. [EM]
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The Scout Report for Business & Economics
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The Scout Report for Business & Economics is published every other Thursday by the Internet Scout Project, located in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Computer Sciences.

Susan Calcari
Rachael E. Bower
Emily Missner
Travis Koplow
Paul M Schwartz
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From The Scout Report for Business & Economics, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1999. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:

Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-1999. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin - Madison or the National Science Foundation.


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