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Minority individuals are disproportionately charged and convicted of crimes in this country. Making matters worse is the fact that many housing providers use criminal history housing applications that disparately impact minority housing applicants. In 2016, after the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2015 that disparate impact liability was cognizable under the Fair Housing Act, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued legal guidance to address how disparate impact liability specifically applies in situations involving housing providers' use of criminal history in housing applications. While the legal guidance could, and should, have significantly impacted the housing market and formerly incarcerated individuals' ability to obtain fair housing HUD's avoidance of notice-and-comment rulemaking when issuing its legal guidance creates an administrative dilemma that will diminish the legal guidance's impact. In light of this, I propose recommendations for HUD moving forward. HUD should either promulgate a proposed rule that is substantively similar to the 2016 legal guidance or, alternatively, promulgate a proposed rule that implements the ideas of the ban-the-box movement from the employment context into the housing context. In either situation, HUD should follow notice-and-comment rulemaking to promulgate the new rule., TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I. Rationale and Context for HUD's Legal Guidance A. The Underlying Rationale B. Development of Disparate Impact Liability in Housing II. HUD's Legal Guidance and the [...]

I. Introduction This article summarizes significant changes to U.S. export controls and economic sanctions occurring in 2011. (1) A specific focus is on proposed and final rules published in furtherance [...]

AbstractSexual assault evidence often contains sperm cells, which are typically separated from nonsperm cells using manual differential lysis procedures. The goal of this study was to evaluate the automated QIAGEN QIAcube for this purpose and to compare it to manual QIAGEN and manual organic differential methods using DNA yields andSTR profile data for assessment. DNA yields were determined by qPCR, followed by multiplex STR amplification, CE analysis, and mixture interpretation. The automated method was capable of effective cell separation, producing DNA yields sufficient for STR amplification. Further, sperm fraction human:male DNA ratios from the QIAcube samples were consistently closer to the desired 1:1 and STR profiles were less likely to result in mixtures, with 6–8× fewer female alleles detected (median 1.5 alleles). Ultimately, using the QIAcube for automated differential processing of semen-containing mixtures reduces the need for downstream mixture interpretation and improves STR profile quality with substantially less hands-on time.

The article discusses the possibility that governments will seek to hinder the flow of capital between countries. The desire of governments to protect their citizens from global financial institutions such as failed financial services firm Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. is described. The potential effect of "de-globalization" that could result from the slowdown of international financial transactions is also discussed.

The article reports the slowing U.S. economy is putting pension plans at risk. Plan portfolios, holding mainly stocks, have taken steep losses. Also, companies are squeezed by regulations, under which they must pay for funding shortfalls in their plans. The largest plans are not fully meeting their obligations, and fund managers can cut benefits or raise employer contributions only so much. Without government help, the author says many plans will fail and taxpayers will pay for the consequences.

The article evaluates the financial crisis of 2008 and its effect on the financial services industry. Economists state the eventual demise of investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs is a possibility, most likely through their acquisition by large commercial banks. Falling U.S. housing prices, the root cause of the crisis, are expected to continue well into 2009. INSET: WHAT THE WORLD'S NEWSPAPERS ARE SAYING.

The article discusses the prospect of financial recovery regarding the U.S. credit crisis and speculates the recovery process could grind on for many years. The failure of IndyMac, the disinterest of the U.S. stock exchange regarding the restructuring of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the stock failures of Lehman Brothers are also discussed. INSET: THE LEVERAGE MULTIPLIER.

The article focuses on the practice of sharing virtual offices as facades for financial fraud. The creation of virtual office complex at 67 Wall Street in New York City is detailed. Particular attention is paid the activities of hedge fund manager, Robert J. Sucarato, who is under investigation for deceiving investors. Sucarato shared an office at 67 Wall St. with dozens of others for $100 a month. The way fraudulent companies use virtual address to build credibility with investors is discussed. INSET: RENT-A-SPACE.

The article discusses the 2008 stock and credit market turmoil, highlighting the buyout of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase to prevent bankruptcy. Concerns are raised regarding the possibility of the collapse of another investment bank and the effect it would have on the securities market. The U.S. Federal Reserve Board's role in the subprime mortgage crisis is noted. Companies such as Citigroup have taken billions of dollars in writedowns.

The article discusses the effect of the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007 on Citigroup Inc., which has $1.6 billion in debt investments. The company has financing commitments to about a dozen collateralized debt obligations and agreed to cover 90 percent of the financing if the commercial paper market faltered. INSET: HOW A BEAR STEARNS CDO COULD HURT CITIGROUP.

The article reports on the financial mismanagement leading to the bankruptcies of two Bear Stearns hedge funds in July 2007. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York are investigating the funds. The funds lost $1.6 billion in investor equity, and the manager of the funds, Ralph R. Cioffi, will seek to prove that his comments about the funds' performance were not misleading.

The article focuses on the U.S. economy in 2007. Particular attention is given to the stability of the securities market, as well as the economical conditions of the home loan sector. Article topics include insurance rates, private equity deals between buyout firms, the investment techniques of American buyers, and the value of hedge funds and U.S. stocks in August. The author offers a review of how the securities and home loan sectors conducted their business since 2005. INSET: A GROWING SUBPRIME WEB.

This article reports on a downward turn in the stock market since late July 2007 and discusses how the liquidity issues of American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. may signal falloffs beyond the subprime mortgage industry into the broader equity market. The weakened investment and equity in hedge funds, bonds used in leveraged buyouts, and other profit drivers for lenders is contrasted with larger firms holding onto strong credit ratings.

This article discusses a type of investment known as a death bond, also known as a life-settlement backed security. Although 90 million U.S. citizens own life insurance, many find the premiums too expensive. Life-settlements are arrangements that offer people the chance to sell their policies to investors, who keep paying the premiums until the sellers die and then collect the payout. INSET: How a life Insurance Policy Becomes a Death Bond.

The article details the June 2007 hedge fund collapse of top Wall Street financial firm Bear Stearns & Co. and tries to determine what effect the loss will have on this and other top Wall Street firms and the economy. The loss was in collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), created at the height of the mortgage boom, which yield well in good times but are unstable in shakier times. Experts agree that if the firms hold on to the CDOs, both Bear Stearns and the market for them should recover.

This article reports on the effects of mortgage defaults and sinking stocks on the manufacturing industry. General Motors posted its highest profits since 2004, however, the news was overshadowed by a $651 million shortfall in its subprime mortgage unit. On March 13, 2007 the Mortgage Bankers Association. reported record percentages of foreclosures. The author calls the biggest winners in all of this the top lenders who sold shares before the collapse.