The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is pleased to announce the release of its second report of al-Qa'ida's foreign fighters in Iraq:
Bombers, Bank Accounts, and Bleedout: al-Qa`ida's Road in and Out of Iraq. The report expands on an analysis of al-Qa'ida in Iraq personnel records conducted by the CTC in December 2007. The report can be accessed at:
http://www.ctc.usma.edu/harmony/pdf/Sinjar_2_July_23.pdf
New Raw Data
Bombers, Bank Accounts, and Bleedout not only expands on the analysis of the Sinjar Records conducted in the first report, it also introduces a host of new data, including:
* Statistics on the exact number and nationality of foreign
fighters held by the US at Camp Bucca in Iraq.
* Contracts signed by AQI's foreign suicide bombers
* Contracts signed by AQI fighters entering and leaving Iraq
* Accounting sheets signed by various fighters that indicate
funding sources and expenditures
* Several narratives describing AQI's network in Syria, personnel
problems, and ties to Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon
* Weapons reports, etc.
Findings
The report has several major new findings:
* Foreign Fighters were an important source of funds for AQI;
Saudi Fighters contributed far more money than any other nationality
* Far more Syrians and Egyptians are held at Camp Bucca than were
listed in the Sinjar Records, which likely reflects the demographic shift away from those nationalities
* Approximately 75% of suicide bombings in Iraq between August
2006 and August 2007 can be attributed to fighters listed in the Sinjar Records.
* "Bleedout" of fighters from Iraq is occurring, but in relatively
small numbers. Nonetheless, these individual fighters will likely be well-trained and very dangerous. The primary threat from these fighters is to Arab states, Af-Pak, and perhaps Somalia.
* Smuggling of all kinds across the Syrian/Iraqi border has long
been linked to corruption in both Syria and Iraq, which limits both government's ability to crackdown.
* Fighters that contributed money to AQI were more likely to
become suicide bombers.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The National War Powers Commission, co-chaired by Secretaries of State Baker and Christopher, was released yesterday. This commission report recommends that Congress repeal the 1973 War Powers Resolution and "substitute a new statute that would provide for more meaningful consultation between the President and Congress. In its final report, the Commission has recommended that Congress pass a new statute, the War Powers Consultation Act of 2009, establishing a clear process on decisions to go to war."
The main website is
http://millercenter.org/policy/commissions/warpowers/
The final report can be found through the link above or directly at http://millercenter.org/dev/ci/system/application/views/_newwebsite/poli
cy/commissions/warpowers/report.pdf
And the appendices to the report can be found at http://millercenter.org/policy/commissions/warpowers/appendices
The main website is
http://millercenter.org/policy/commissions/warpowers/
The final report can be found through the link above or directly at http://millercenter.org/dev/ci/system/application/views/_newwebsite/poli
cy/commissions/warpowers/report.pdf
And the appendices to the report can be found at http://millercenter.org/policy/commissions/warpowers/appendices
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
From Melody Kelly, Associate Dean, UNT Libraries
Today's NY Times has a lead article "China Inspired Interrogations at Guantanamo" that has govdoc research challenges hidden within its text. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/us/02detain.html?th&emc=th
For those who teach docs classes and those who keep up with the interrogation methods used by the military and CIA this article is a gem.
Hearings are an obvious source but you can also find related technical reports by Biderman http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/prodsrvc/stinet.html
And the article specifically mentioned by Biderman using our old friend PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/
Don't you just love reading the newspapers!
Thank you, Melody
Today's NY Times has a lead article "China Inspired Interrogations at Guantanamo" that has govdoc research challenges hidden within its text. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/us/02detain.html?th&emc=th
For those who teach docs classes and those who keep up with the interrogation methods used by the military and CIA this article is a gem.
Hearings are an obvious source but you can also find related technical reports by Biderman http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/prodsrvc/stinet.html
And the article specifically mentioned by Biderman using our old friend PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/
Don't you just love reading the newspapers!
Thank you, Melody
Rand has finally been able to release its report "After Saddam: Prewar Planning and the Occupation of Iraq."
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG642.pdf.
This report examined activities through June 2004 and part of an "eight-volume collection of reports that the RAND Arroyo Center undertook to prepare an authoritative account of the planning and execution of combat and stability operations in Iraq. Six of the volumes are classified. The other unclassified volume is being finalized."
Abstract: "This monograph begins by examining prewar planning efforts for postwar Iraq, in order to establish what U.S. policymakers expected the postwar situation to look like and what their plans were for reconstruction. The monograph then examines the role of U.S. military forces after major combat officially ended on May 1, 2003; the analysis covers this period through the end of June 2004. Finally, the monograph examines civilian efforts at reconstruction after major combat ended, focusing on the activities of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and its efforts to rebuild structures of governance, security forces, economic policy, and essential services prior to June 28, 2004, the day that the CPA dissolved and transferred authority to the Interim Iraqi Government. The authors conclude that the U.S. government was unprepared for the challenges of postwar Iraq for three reasons: a failure to challenge fundamental assumptions about postwar Iraq; ineffective interagency coordination; and the failure to assign responsibility and resources for providing security in the immediate aftermath of major combat operations."
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG642.pdf.
This report examined activities through June 2004 and part of an "eight-volume collection of reports that the RAND Arroyo Center undertook to prepare an authoritative account of the planning and execution of combat and stability operations in Iraq. Six of the volumes are classified. The other unclassified volume is being finalized."
Abstract: "This monograph begins by examining prewar planning efforts for postwar Iraq, in order to establish what U.S. policymakers expected the postwar situation to look like and what their plans were for reconstruction. The monograph then examines the role of U.S. military forces after major combat officially ended on May 1, 2003; the analysis covers this period through the end of June 2004. Finally, the monograph examines civilian efforts at reconstruction after major combat ended, focusing on the activities of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and its efforts to rebuild structures of governance, security forces, economic policy, and essential services prior to June 28, 2004, the day that the CPA dissolved and transferred authority to the Interim Iraqi Government. The authors conclude that the U.S. government was unprepared for the challenges of postwar Iraq for three reasons: a failure to challenge fundamental assumptions about postwar Iraq; ineffective interagency coordination; and the failure to assign responsibility and resources for providing security in the immediate aftermath of major combat operations."
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Defense Department released 2 reports yesterday related to Afghanistan which look at the progress related to the country's security and its national forces. The studies were mandated by Congress to analyze results of Operation Enduring Freedom through March and are intended to include semi-annual updates. Both reports are available from http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/
The "Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan"
looks at the security environment and describes is as very "fragile."
It can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/Report_on_Progress_toward_Security_and_S
tability_in_Afghanistan_1230.pdf
The "Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan"
looks at the security environment and describes is as very "fragile."
It can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/Report_on_Progress_toward_Security_and_S
tability_in_Afghanistan_1230.pdf
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and House Intelligence Community Management (ICM) Subcommittee held a joint hearing today on the "National Security Implications of Global Climate Change." The prepared statements of the witnesses have now been posted and are available at http://globalwarming.house.gov/pubs/pubs?id=0046#main_content
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Alternative Energy - the National High School Debate Topic,
2008/09 - is up and running on the web at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate08.html
The web site has annotated links to major global warming reports, the three fossil fuels and energy alternatives ranging from hydrogen, wind, and wave to fuel cells, plug-in electric cars, and various hyrids. There are articles, research reports, laws, and Congressional hearings in full text. The Department of Energy has a truly outstanding web site, which we analyzed and supplemented with those from think tanks, automakers, state government associations, and the OECD.
Given national interest in the topic and piecemeal coverage by the media, the web team attempted to create a broad picture of the energy/environment tension, evaluate potential short and long term fixes, and define mysterious terms such as carbon sequestration.
Ray Walling (Rozkuszka Scholarship), Todd Baker and Justin Joque (both SI students) were a dream team. We spent about six weeks throwing questions at one another, like the difference between the Toyota Prius and the newest hydrogen Honda. What does methane have to do with that commercial about cows? (Not much.)
While most of us have been worrying about gas prices, it turns out that Congress has been constantly trying to address the issues and private industry has made more progress than we realized.
Grace York, Coordinator
Documents Center
University of Michigan Library
graceyor@umich.edu
(734) 764-0410
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/
2008/09 - is up and running on the web at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate08.html
The web site has annotated links to major global warming reports, the three fossil fuels and energy alternatives ranging from hydrogen, wind, and wave to fuel cells, plug-in electric cars, and various hyrids. There are articles, research reports, laws, and Congressional hearings in full text. The Department of Energy has a truly outstanding web site, which we analyzed and supplemented with those from think tanks, automakers, state government associations, and the OECD.
Given national interest in the topic and piecemeal coverage by the media, the web team attempted to create a broad picture of the energy/environment tension, evaluate potential short and long term fixes, and define mysterious terms such as carbon sequestration.
Ray Walling (Rozkuszka Scholarship), Todd Baker and Justin Joque (both SI students) were a dream team. We spent about six weeks throwing questions at one another, like the difference between the Toyota Prius and the newest hydrogen Honda. What does methane have to do with that commercial about cows? (Not much.)
While most of us have been worrying about gas prices, it turns out that Congress has been constantly trying to address the issues and private industry has made more progress than we realized.
Grace York, Coordinator
Documents Center
University of Michigan Library
graceyor@umich.edu
(734) 764-0410
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The BIA website has announced an order to reconnect to the Internet
Court Order Permitting Internet Reconnection
Indian Affairs is now on the path to full reconnection to the Internet.
In a major development with regard to the Cobell v. Norton litigation, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit on May 14, 2008, granted defendants' motion to vacate the December 17, 2001, Consent Order Regarding Information Technology Security and has given its permission for the information technology systems of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Office of Hearing and Appeals (OHA), the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), and the Office of Historical Trust Accounting (OHTA) to be reconnected to the Internet. A copy of the Court Order is attached.
The Department, and Indian Affairs has worked long and diligently to resolve the IT security issues that have concerned the Court with respect to the Department's systems housing Individual Indian Trust Data (IITD). Indian Affairs is pleased that the Court has granted this opportunity to improve our level of service to the tribes and individual Indian trust beneficiaries and to demonstrate our commitment to the protection and preservation of the IITD.
Source: http://www.doi.gov/bia/
Court Order Permitting Internet Reconnection
Indian Affairs is now on the path to full reconnection to the Internet.
In a major development with regard to the Cobell v. Norton litigation, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit on May 14, 2008, granted defendants' motion to vacate the December 17, 2001, Consent Order Regarding Information Technology Security and has given its permission for the information technology systems of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Office of Hearing and Appeals (OHA), the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), and the Office of Historical Trust Accounting (OHTA) to be reconnected to the Internet. A copy of the Court Order is attached.
The Department, and Indian Affairs has worked long and diligently to resolve the IT security issues that have concerned the Court with respect to the Department's systems housing Individual Indian Trust Data (IITD). Indian Affairs is pleased that the Court has granted this opportunity to improve our level of service to the tribes and individual Indian trust beneficiaries and to demonstrate our commitment to the protection and preservation of the IITD.
Source: http://www.doi.gov/bia/
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The House Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight released today the first of 3 reports on America's International Image (covering Decline, Impact on U.S. National Interests and Recommendations).
The Decline in America's Reputation Why?
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/42566.pdf
Related testimony
The Honorable Bill Delahunt,
Esther Brimmer, Ph.D., --
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/bri061108.htm
Scott W. Hibbard, Ph.D., --
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/hib061108.htm
John Tirman, Ph.D., http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/tir061108.htm
David Frum, Esq.
Webcast --
http://international.edgeboss.net/real/international/oi06112008.smi
The Decline in America's Reputation Why?
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/42566.pdf
Related testimony
The Honorable Bill Delahunt,
Esther Brimmer, Ph.D., --
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/bri061108.htm
Scott W. Hibbard, Ph.D., --
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/hib061108.htm
John Tirman, Ph.D., http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/tir061108.htm
David Frum, Esq.
Webcast --
http://international.edgeboss.net/real/international/oi06112008.smi
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Rand counterinsurgency study reports are making the round and they have released another report in the series.
The report by Seth Jones is Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: RAND Counterinsurgency Study - vol 4. The direct link is http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG595.pdf but the page with information about it and links to the other vols and papers can be found at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG595/ or see the list below.
A related report of interest is Analytic Support to Intelligence in Counterinsurgencies
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG682.pdf
According to the summary for Vol 4 - "This study explores the nature of the insurgency in Afghanistan, the key challenges and successes of the U.S.-led counterinsurgency campaign, and the capabilities necessary to wage effective counterinsurgency operations. By examining the key lessons from all insurgencies since World War II, it finds that most policymakers repeatedly underestimate the importance of indigenous actors to counterinsurgency efforts. The U.S. should focus its resources on helping improve the capacity of the indigenous government and indigenous security forces to wage counterinsurgency. It has not always done this well. The U.S. military-along with U.S. civilian agencies and other coalition partners-is more likely to be successful in counterinsurgency warfare the more capable and legitimate the indigenous security forces (especially the police), the better the governance capacity of the local state, and the less external support that insurgents receive."
The report by Seth Jones is Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: RAND Counterinsurgency Study - vol 4. The direct link is http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG595.pdf but the page with information about it and links to the other vols and papers can be found at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG595/ or see the list below.
A related report of interest is Analytic Support to Intelligence in Counterinsurgencies
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG682.pdf
According to the summary for Vol 4 - "This study explores the nature of the insurgency in Afghanistan, the key challenges and successes of the U.S.-led counterinsurgency campaign, and the capabilities necessary to wage effective counterinsurgency operations. By examining the key lessons from all insurgencies since World War II, it finds that most policymakers repeatedly underestimate the importance of indigenous actors to counterinsurgency efforts. The U.S. should focus its resources on helping improve the capacity of the indigenous government and indigenous security forces to wage counterinsurgency. It has not always done this well. The U.S. military-along with U.S. civilian agencies and other coalition partners-is more likely to be successful in counterinsurgency warfare the more capable and legitimate the indigenous security forces (especially the police), the better the governance capacity of the local state, and the less external support that insurgents receive."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
From Daniel Cornwall and FGI via usa.gov
" EPA's National Dialogue on Access to Environmental Information. EPA is holding an on-line discussion among its federal partners and the public to foster collaboration on information access. Everyone is invited to use this site to identify and share their best resources, tools, and ideas for improving access to EPA's environmental information. This blog will only be accepting comments for one week - from June 9-13, 2008 - so be sure to visit and add your comments and good ideas soon!"
This ONE WEEK ONLY blog can be found at http://blog.epa.gov/partners/. I hope that anyone with an interest in environmental information will try and use this venue. - Daniel
" EPA's National Dialogue on Access to Environmental Information. EPA is holding an on-line discussion among its federal partners and the public to foster collaboration on information access. Everyone is invited to use this site to identify and share their best resources, tools, and ideas for improving access to EPA's environmental information. This blog will only be accepting comments for one week - from June 9-13, 2008 - so be sure to visit and add your comments and good ideas soon!"
This ONE WEEK ONLY blog can be found at http://blog.epa.gov/partners/. I hope that anyone with an interest in environmental information will try and use this venue. - Daniel
DOD has released its FY2007 DoD Statistical Report on the Military Retirement System. It can be found directly at http://www.defenselink.mil/actuary/statbook07.pdf or from their Actuary website http://www.defenselink.mil/actuary/ . Previous reports back to
FY2001 are also available along with other reports from that office.
If you are not familiar with this report, it is pretty comprehensive providing information on all kinds/levels of military retirement information. Most is available by service and rank. While most of the stats are for the current fiscal year, there is one table for the number of military retirees receiving retired pay by year going back to 1900.
Also included are stats such as:
by State
Military Retirees outside the US
by Zip Code
by rank and current age/age at retirement/years of service by gender
FY2001 are also available along with other reports from that office.
If you are not familiar with this report, it is pretty comprehensive providing information on all kinds/levels of military retirement information. Most is available by service and rank. While most of the stats are for the current fiscal year, there is one table for the number of military retirees receiving retired pay by year going back to 1900.
Also included are stats such as:
by State
Military Retirees outside the US
by Zip Code
by rank and current age/age at retirement/years of service by gender
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has released its Phase II reports on administration misstatements on Prewar Iraq Intelligence and inappropriate intelligence activities by a Pentagon Policy Office. These reports are available from the Senate Intelligence page http://intelligence.senate.gov/pubcurrent.html or from the Chairman Rockefeller's page http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=298774& or directly at indicated below. The press release is available at
http://intelligence.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=298775
Report on Whether Public Statements Regarding Iraq by U.S. Government Officials were substantiated by Intelligence Information http://intelligence.senate.gov/080605/phase2a.pdf
Report on Intelligence Activities Relating to Iraq Conducted by the Policy Counterterrorism Evaluation Group and the Office of Special Plans within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy http://intelligence.senate.gov/080605/phase2b.pdf
The initial report is also available
Report on the Select Committee on Intelligence on Prewar Intelligence Assessments about Postwar Iraq.
http://intelligence.senate.gov/prewar.pdf
http://intelligence.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=298775
Report on Whether Public Statements Regarding Iraq by U.S. Government Officials were substantiated by Intelligence Information http://intelligence.senate.gov/080605/phase2a.pdf
Report on Intelligence Activities Relating to Iraq Conducted by the Policy Counterterrorism Evaluation Group and the Office of Special Plans within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy http://intelligence.senate.gov/080605/phase2b.pdf
The initial report is also available
Report on the Select Committee on Intelligence on Prewar Intelligence Assessments about Postwar Iraq.
http://intelligence.senate.gov/prewar.pdf
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A review of the FBI's involvement in and observations of detainee interrogations... 438 pgs.
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0805/final.pdf
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0805/final.pdf
Political Appointee Asserts Control over All Libraries, Repeals 30-Year-Old Manual
Washington, DC - Ordered by Congress to re-open its shuttered libraries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is grudgingly allocating only minimal space and resources, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). At the same time, EPA is issuing a series of edicts placing virtually every aspect of library operations under centralized control of a political appointee.
In a May 8, 2008 e-mail to EPA employee unions, the agency announced its plan for re-opening four of the closed libraries effective September 1.
The unions were given until May 22 to reply or object. The announced plan for the Chicago library, formerly the largest regional library serving the entire six-state Great Lakes area, stipulates:
* The re-opened library will be in a vacant reception area on the
16th floor of a federal building;
* The re-opened library will occupy less than one-tenth the area
of the closed library and will be only slightly larger than the typical men's restroom in that same building; and
* No provision is made to restore the unique Great Lakes
ecological collection or to recover any of the other holdings from the former library.
Similarly, the regional library in Dallas serving a five-state area will be reduced to "2 staff workstations and 1 patron workstation, each with a PC, desk, and chair". It will be open six hours a day for four days a week. The fate of its former collection also remains unknown.
"A library requires more space than a lavatory," stated PEER Associate Director Carol Goldberg. "These plans appear to violate the Congressional order that the agency 'restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed...' What part of 'restore' doesn't EPA understand?"
Adding to the disruption caused by its 20-month library closure campaign, EPA has installed one political appointee, Molly O'Neill, the Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information, as library czar, in charge of all library operations, including those serving laboratories and specialized programs.
New rules issued by O'Neill governing every facet of library operations, including detailed directives on handling research and information requests and priorities for materials disbursal or destruction, will go into effect next month. These new rules will repeal agency protocols that have been in effect since 1977.
"Even as many collections remain in crates, EPA has decided to micromanage what is left," Goldberg added, noting that the agency has still not accounted for many of the library holdings it had removed.
"Professional librarians should be making these management decisions, not political appointees."
More information available here, including the original memo, how libraries are suppose to respond to requests and more:
http://peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1051
Washington, DC - Ordered by Congress to re-open its shuttered libraries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is grudgingly allocating only minimal space and resources, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). At the same time, EPA is issuing a series of edicts placing virtually every aspect of library operations under centralized control of a political appointee.
In a May 8, 2008 e-mail to EPA employee unions, the agency announced its plan for re-opening four of the closed libraries effective September 1.
The unions were given until May 22 to reply or object. The announced plan for the Chicago library, formerly the largest regional library serving the entire six-state Great Lakes area, stipulates:
* The re-opened library will be in a vacant reception area on the
16th floor of a federal building;
* The re-opened library will occupy less than one-tenth the area
of the closed library and will be only slightly larger than the typical men's restroom in that same building; and
* No provision is made to restore the unique Great Lakes
ecological collection or to recover any of the other holdings from the former library.
Similarly, the regional library in Dallas serving a five-state area will be reduced to "2 staff workstations and 1 patron workstation, each with a PC, desk, and chair". It will be open six hours a day for four days a week. The fate of its former collection also remains unknown.
"A library requires more space than a lavatory," stated PEER Associate Director Carol Goldberg. "These plans appear to violate the Congressional order that the agency 'restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed...' What part of 'restore' doesn't EPA understand?"
Adding to the disruption caused by its 20-month library closure campaign, EPA has installed one political appointee, Molly O'Neill, the Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information, as library czar, in charge of all library operations, including those serving laboratories and specialized programs.
New rules issued by O'Neill governing every facet of library operations, including detailed directives on handling research and information requests and priorities for materials disbursal or destruction, will go into effect next month. These new rules will repeal agency protocols that have been in effect since 1977.
"Even as many collections remain in crates, EPA has decided to micromanage what is left," Goldberg added, noting that the agency has still not accounted for many of the library holdings it had removed.
"Professional librarians should be making these management decisions, not political appointees."
More information available here, including the original memo, how libraries are suppose to respond to requests and more:
http://peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1051
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
CLOSED EPA LIBRARIES TO RETURN IN LAVATORY-SIZED SPACES
Web page address: http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1051
Web page address: http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1051
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Pew's State Management Report Card for 2008
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Grading-the-States-2008.pdf
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Grading-the-States-2008.pdf
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Announcement: It All Started With Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: "Tom Peters" tapinformation@yahoo.com tapinformation
Date: Tue May 13, 2008 7:19 am ((PDT))
Greetings! Everyone worldwide is welcome to join the librarians at the Library of Congress for this free online program about the genesis of the Library of Congress. To learn more about all upcoming OPAL free online programs, please visit
http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:
From Monticello to Capitol Hill: Thomas Jefferson and His Library
Host: Library of Congress
Online Location: OPAL Online Auditorium
After nearly two centuries, Thomas Jefferson¢s library has again been recreated at the heart of the Library of Congress for all to see. How did catastrophe vie with vision and innovation to transform Jefferson¢s library into the Library of Congress? Join us as we take you on a virtual journey across the Web, blending a nineteenth-century story with twenty-first-century technical innovation to bring you online resources that are both the oldest and the newest treasures the world¢s greatest library has to share.
Tom Peters, OPAL Coordinator
TAP Information Services
1000 SW 23rd Street
Blue Springs, MO 64015
phone: 816-228-6406
email: tpeters@tapinformation.com
web: www.tapinformation.com
Skype: tapeters4466
Maxito Ricardo in Second Life
Posted by: "Tom Peters" tapinformation@yahoo.com tapinformation
Date: Tue May 13, 2008 7:19 am ((PDT))
Greetings! Everyone worldwide is welcome to join the librarians at the Library of Congress for this free online program about the genesis of the Library of Congress. To learn more about all upcoming OPAL free online programs, please visit
http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT/UTC/Zulu:
From Monticello to Capitol Hill: Thomas Jefferson and His Library
Host: Library of Congress
Online Location: OPAL Online Auditorium
After nearly two centuries, Thomas Jefferson¢s library has again been recreated at the heart of the Library of Congress for all to see. How did catastrophe vie with vision and innovation to transform Jefferson¢s library into the Library of Congress? Join us as we take you on a virtual journey across the Web, blending a nineteenth-century story with twenty-first-century technical innovation to bring you online resources that are both the oldest and the newest treasures the world¢s greatest library has to share.
Tom Peters, OPAL Coordinator
TAP Information Services
1000 SW 23rd Street
Blue Springs, MO 64015
phone: 816-228-6406
email: tpeters@tapinformation.com
web: www.tapinformation.com
Skype: tapeters4466
Maxito Ricardo in Second Life
The House Committee on Homeland Security Majority Staff have published a new report examining "Public Health, Safety, and Security for Mass Gatherings." This is a comprehensive report and it includes 30 recommendations for what should be done by levels of government as well as the private sector in the event of an act of terrorism or any other from of disaster. The report is available directly at
http://homeland.house.gov/SiteDocuments/20080513105623-98169.pdf .
The press release is available at
http://homeland.house.gov/press/index.asp?ID=373
http://homeland.house.gov/SiteDocuments/20080513105623-98169.pdf .
The press release is available at
http://homeland.house.gov/press/index.asp?ID=373
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has released its majority and minority staff report entitled "Violent Islamist Extremism, The Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat."
It can be found at
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/_files/IslamistReport.pdf or from the Committee's website http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/
It can be found at
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/_files/IslamistReport.pdf or from the Committee's website http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Watching gas prices rise 15-cents overnight will frighten the hardiest of souls. Fight back with a little information.
The University of Michigan Documents Center has just launched its Gasoline Prices web page at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/dn08/dn08gas.html
The web page is filled with statistics on pump and crude oil prices, exchange rates, and oil reserves. Did you know there are 42 gallons to a barrel of oil? It is also addresses solutions to high prices from supply and demand to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a gas tax holiday, and regulating commodity exchanges. In case you are wondering, there IS no existing windfall profits tax!
The University of Michigan Documents Center has just launched its Gasoline Prices web page at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/dn08/dn08gas.html
The web page is filled with statistics on pump and crude oil prices, exchange rates, and oil reserves. Did you know there are 42 gallons to a barrel of oil? It is also addresses solutions to high prices from supply and demand to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a gas tax holiday, and regulating commodity exchanges. In case you are wondering, there IS no existing windfall profits tax!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Majority Staff has released its report "Hospital Emergency Surge Capacity: Not Ready for the 'Predictable Surprise.'" The report is available at
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080505101837.pdf
For the links to the related snapshot reports for various hospitals as well as information about the hearings being held this week, go to
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1929 .
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080505101837.pdf
For the links to the related snapshot reports for various hospitals as well as information about the hearings being held this week, go to
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1929 .
Thursday, May 01, 2008
The State Department has released its latest "Country Report on Terrorism." This report is required by law and until 2004 was called the "Patterns of Global Terrorism." The html version of the 2007 is now available at
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2007/
Previous reports [2006-2000] can be found at http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt and the archive [1995-1999] of the earlier reports can be found at http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/annual_reports.html
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2007/
Previous reports [2006-2000] can be found at http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt and the archive [1995-1999] of the earlier reports can be found at http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/annual_reports.html
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Several recent reports on the status of reconstruction in Iraq have been released this week from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) and are in the news.
SIGIR Audit Reports [April]:
Main site -- http://www.sigir.mil/reports/audit.aspx
* 08-011 [April 29, 2008]
Review of Outcome, Cost, and Oversight of Electricity-Sector Reconstruction Contract with Perini Corporation http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-011.pdf
* 08-017 [April 28, 2008]
Transferring Reconstruction Projects to the Government of Iraq: Some Progress Made but Further Improvements Needed to Avoid Waste http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-017.pdf
* 08-013 [April 28, 2008]
Interim Report on Iraq Reconstruction Contract Terminations
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-013.pdf
* 08-015 [April 25, 2008]
Interim Analysis of Iraqi Security Force Information Provided by the Department of Defense Report, Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-015.pdf
* 08-016 [April 24, 2008]
U.S. Anticorruption Efforts in Iraq: Progress Made in Implementing Revised Management Plan
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-016.pdf
* 08-014 [April 24, 2008]
Progress on Recommended Improvements to Contract Administration for the Iraqi Police Training Program
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-014.pdf
SIGIR Quarterly Reports
Main site http://www.sigir.mil/reports/Default.aspx
They just released its most recently quarterly report
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Apr08/pdf/Report_-_April_2
008.pdf
Their summary of this report --
Since April 2003, the United States Congress has appropriated more than
$46 billion for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq. This Quarterly Report provides a comprehensive update on how that money has been spent, with information on the top five projects in each construction sector, the top contractors by income, an overview of reconstruction management, and SIGIR's new audits and inspections. In addition, with Iraq's oil revenue income on course to hit $70 billion for 2008 "twice what was expected" Iraq is in a position to take on more responsibility for its own reconstruction. The Year of Transfer in Iraq continues, with three major issues unfolding:
* Transferring funding responsibility
* Transferring reconstruction assets
* Transferring responsibility for security
SIGIR Audit Reports [April]:
Main site -- http://www.sigir.mil/reports/audit.aspx
* 08-011 [April 29, 2008]
Review of Outcome, Cost, and Oversight of Electricity-Sector Reconstruction Contract with Perini Corporation http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-011.pdf
* 08-017 [April 28, 2008]
Transferring Reconstruction Projects to the Government of Iraq: Some Progress Made but Further Improvements Needed to Avoid Waste http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-017.pdf
* 08-013 [April 28, 2008]
Interim Report on Iraq Reconstruction Contract Terminations
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-013.pdf
* 08-015 [April 25, 2008]
Interim Analysis of Iraqi Security Force Information Provided by the Department of Defense Report, Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-015.pdf
* 08-016 [April 24, 2008]
U.S. Anticorruption Efforts in Iraq: Progress Made in Implementing Revised Management Plan
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-016.pdf
* 08-014 [April 24, 2008]
Progress on Recommended Improvements to Contract Administration for the Iraqi Police Training Program
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/08-014.pdf
SIGIR Quarterly Reports
Main site http://www.sigir.mil/reports/Default.aspx
They just released its most recently quarterly report
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Apr08/pdf/Report_-_April_2
008.pdf
Their summary of this report --
Since April 2003, the United States Congress has appropriated more than
$46 billion for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq. This Quarterly Report provides a comprehensive update on how that money has been spent, with information on the top five projects in each construction sector, the top contractors by income, an overview of reconstruction management, and SIGIR's new audits and inspections. In addition, with Iraq's oil revenue income on course to hit $70 billion for 2008 "twice what was expected" Iraq is in a position to take on more responsibility for its own reconstruction. The Year of Transfer in Iraq continues, with three major issues unfolding:
* Transferring funding responsibility
* Transferring reconstruction assets
* Transferring responsibility for security
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The depository eagle was created by GPO staff and approved by the staff in the Office of the Superintendent of Documents and from the Joint Committee on Printing.
The logo was selected from 3 designs submitted by GPO Graphics Department. Jim Livesey, Director of Library Programs Service of the Superintendent of Documents Office and Bernadine Abbott Hoduski (retired professional staffer, U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Printing Helena, Montana ber@initco.net) as a JCP staffer decided on the winner.
The eagle logo was first used by GPO 9/30/1977. It was registered as a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 12/27/2005. S/N:
78503429
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78503429
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Library of Congress Opens Main Reading Room to Researchers
Age 16 and Older
Library of Congress Opens Main Reading Room to Researchers Age 16 and Older The Library of Congress today announced that the minimum age for use of the Main Reading Room to access the Library's physical collections for research purposes has been lowered to 16. The previous requirement was that researchers be above high school age. "The Library of Congress is always looking for ways to create new lifelong learners, to expand access to knowledge and to spark the creativity of future generations," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "We want people of all ages to be aware of the almost limitless resources that are available in libraries, including their de facto national library, especially at a time when the amount of information online still represents only a tiny fraction of the sum total of human knowledge." According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, there are more than 8 million 16- and 17-year-olds living in the United States.
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-069.html
Age 16 and Older
Library of Congress Opens Main Reading Room to Researchers Age 16 and Older The Library of Congress today announced that the minimum age for use of the Main Reading Room to access the Library's physical collections for research purposes has been lowered to 16. The previous requirement was that researchers be above high school age. "The Library of Congress is always looking for ways to create new lifelong learners, to expand access to knowledge and to spark the creativity of future generations," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "We want people of all ages to be aware of the almost limitless resources that are available in libraries, including their de facto national library, especially at a time when the amount of information online still represents only a tiny fraction of the sum total of human knowledge." According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, there are more than 8 million 16- and 17-year-olds living in the United States.
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-069.html
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has decided to not record a "snapshot" of government web pages at the end of the current Administration (as it did at the end of the Clinton Admin and of the 109th Congress). The letter below urges the Archivist to rescind that decision.
Background information is provided here:
http://www.dotgovwatch.com/?/archives/34-The-National-Archives-Is-Quietly-Destroying-Millions-of-Documents.html#contentStart
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9077158
NARA's response to the bad publicity is here: http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/memos/nwm13-2008-brief.html
The deadline is Monday, 28 April. If you want to sign your organization on, please let Vivek Shah know.
Thanks.
Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
www.openthegovernment.org
202.332.OPEN (6736)
April , 2008
Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States National Archives and Records Administration 700 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20408
Dear Dr Weinstein,
We are writing to express our serious concerns about the National Archives and Record Administration's decision to not record a "snapshot" of government web pages at the end of the current Administration. Federal websites are federal records and, therefore, must be treated as such and preserved appropriately. As the site for the 2004 Presidential Term Web Harvest indicates, the first such snapshot was "intended to document Federal agencies' presence on the World Wide Web at the time that the Presidential Administration term ended in early 2005." Indeed, NARA also captured House and Senate public web sites as they existed prior to December 11 2006, at the end of the109th Congress (2006). A precedent, thus, has been clearly established for this important method of preserving a moment in our country's history.
It is our understanding that in NWM 13.2008, the reasons for this decision include that Existing, private entities such as the Internet Archive (archives.org) already record federal web pages; and NARA does not consider such a snapshot to possess enough historical value to warrant its recording.
The work of organizations like the Internet Archive, while valuable, does not supplant the responsibility of our national government to protect and document its own history and the NARA snapshot is the critical component of the Nation's historical record. No other agency has both the public mandate and the public accountability necessary for protecting historical records.
Moreover, depending on private, non-profit organizations to keep our Nation's digital history poses serious risks. What guarantee is there that the Internet Archive or any similar organization, and the records they keep, will still exist 10, 15, or a hundred years from now? How do we ensure that these records will be freely available and without limitations on their use?
A snapshot of federal web pages is, indeed, of great historical value. They provide the public with an image and understanding of the government at a particular point in time that can be then compared and contrasted with other such images over Administrations. Such comparison is of immense historical value because it allows the public direct access to federal digital records at a given time in history. As Congress and Federal agencies continue to move more and more of their work online, proactive and detailed digital archiving is essential for public awareness and government accountability.
We urge you to rescind your decision and continue NARA's web harvesting program by archiving a snapshot of all federal web pages at the end of the current presidential term. Not capturing federal websites now may mean losing millions of pages created during the Bush administration. Allowing such a loss is contrary to the trust in and the mission of the National Archives and Records Administration.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss our concerns with you. Thank you in advance for considering this request. Please contact Patrice McDermott at 202-332-6736 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Background information is provided here:
http://www.dotgovwatch.com/?/archives/34-The-National-Archives-Is-Quietly-Destroying-Millions-of-Documents.html#contentStart
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9077158
NARA's response to the bad publicity is here: http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/memos/nwm13-2008-brief.html
The deadline is Monday, 28 April. If you want to sign your organization on, please let Vivek Shah know.
Thanks.
Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
www.openthegovernment.org
202.332.OPEN (6736)
April , 2008
Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States National Archives and Records Administration 700 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20408
Dear Dr Weinstein,
We are writing to express our serious concerns about the National Archives and Record Administration's decision to not record a "snapshot" of government web pages at the end of the current Administration. Federal websites are federal records and, therefore, must be treated as such and preserved appropriately. As the site for the 2004 Presidential Term Web Harvest indicates, the first such snapshot was "intended to document Federal agencies' presence on the World Wide Web at the time that the Presidential Administration term ended in early 2005." Indeed, NARA also captured House and Senate public web sites as they existed prior to December 11 2006, at the end of the109th Congress (2006). A precedent, thus, has been clearly established for this important method of preserving a moment in our country's history.
It is our understanding that in NWM 13.2008, the reasons for this decision include that Existing, private entities such as the Internet Archive (archives.org) already record federal web pages; and NARA does not consider such a snapshot to possess enough historical value to warrant its recording.
The work of organizations like the Internet Archive, while valuable, does not supplant the responsibility of our national government to protect and document its own history and the NARA snapshot is the critical component of the Nation's historical record. No other agency has both the public mandate and the public accountability necessary for protecting historical records.
Moreover, depending on private, non-profit organizations to keep our Nation's digital history poses serious risks. What guarantee is there that the Internet Archive or any similar organization, and the records they keep, will still exist 10, 15, or a hundred years from now? How do we ensure that these records will be freely available and without limitations on their use?
A snapshot of federal web pages is, indeed, of great historical value. They provide the public with an image and understanding of the government at a particular point in time that can be then compared and contrasted with other such images over Administrations. Such comparison is of immense historical value because it allows the public direct access to federal digital records at a given time in history. As Congress and Federal agencies continue to move more and more of their work online, proactive and detailed digital archiving is essential for public awareness and government accountability.
We urge you to rescind your decision and continue NARA's web harvesting program by archiving a snapshot of all federal web pages at the end of the current presidential term. Not capturing federal websites now may mean losing millions of pages created during the Bush administration. Allowing such a loss is contrary to the trust in and the mission of the National Archives and Records Administration.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss our concerns with you. Thank you in advance for considering this request. Please contact Patrice McDermott at 202-332-6736 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Second Judicial District Court - Family Division has been hosting monthly "service fairs" on the 3rd floor of One South Sierra Street, North Tower. Our next service fair will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and will highlight services provided by the Adoption and Attachment Resource Center of Nevada and Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Northern Nevada.
The Adoption and Attachment Resource Center will be here from 9:00 a.m.
- 3:00 p.m. and Consumer Credit Counseling Services will here from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Adoption and Attachment Resource Center provides information about recruitment, training, and ongoing support for adoptive families. Consumer Credit Counseling Services provides free credit, debt, budget, housing, and family counseling. Please share this information with those who may be interested in such assistance.
Should you have any questions, please let me know. For your convenience I have also attached the event flyer. Thank you in advance for encouraging people to attend.
Joey A. Orduna, J.D.
Assistant Court Administrator - Family Court Second Judicial District P.O. Box 30083 Reno, Nevada 89520-3083
Phone: (775) 328-3467
Cell: (775) 250-2322
Fax: (775) 328-3469
Email: joey.orduna@washoecourts.us <mailto:joey.orduna@washoecourts.us>
The Adoption and Attachment Resource Center will be here from 9:00 a.m.
- 3:00 p.m. and Consumer Credit Counseling Services will here from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Adoption and Attachment Resource Center provides information about recruitment, training, and ongoing support for adoptive families. Consumer Credit Counseling Services provides free credit, debt, budget, housing, and family counseling. Please share this information with those who may be interested in such assistance.
Should you have any questions, please let me know. For your convenience I have also attached the event flyer. Thank you in advance for encouraging people to attend.
Joey A. Orduna, J.D.
Assistant Court Administrator - Family Court Second Judicial District P.O. Box 30083 Reno, Nevada 89520-3083
Phone: (775) 328-3467
Cell: (775) 250-2322
Fax: (775) 328-3469
Email: joey.orduna@washoecourts.us <mailto:joey.orduna@washoecourts.us>
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
POPLINE
On April 2, controversy erupted when medical research librarians discovered that database administrators at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, took action to block the word 'abortion' as a search term for searches conducted on POPLINE, the 'world's largest database on reproductive health.'
Shortly after the news was made public, the ALA Washington Office approached officials at John Hopkins inquiring about the limitations placed on the database and demanding a full investigation into the matter. When informed about the administrators' decision, Dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Michael J. Klag, reversed the decision to restrict the search term. Full access to the POPLINE database was promptly restored and Dr. Klag has since initiated an inquiry into why and how the block was established.
On April 2, controversy erupted when medical research librarians discovered that database administrators at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, took action to block the word 'abortion' as a search term for searches conducted on POPLINE, the 'world's largest database on reproductive health.'
Shortly after the news was made public, the ALA Washington Office approached officials at John Hopkins inquiring about the limitations placed on the database and demanding a full investigation into the matter. When informed about the administrators' decision, Dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Michael J. Klag, reversed the decision to restrict the search term. Full access to the POPLINE database was promptly restored and Dr. Klag has since initiated an inquiry into why and how the block was established.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The Truth About Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry
A great article from The Federal Trade Commission
A great article from The Federal Trade Commission
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Country Pages for the World Completed
The Government Publications Library at the University of Colorado at Boulder is happy to announce that its country pages for ALL countries of the world are now complete. You can access the pages directly from the Government Publications website (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm) OR by searching the Research & Subject Guides Database (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/guides/index.cfm) by country name.
For ease of use, each page is arranged in a consistent manner. A navigation menu at the top provides quick access to frequently-requested information:
Government Information Country Profiles Articles & Databases Diplomatic Relations Health Peacekeeping & Military Information Resources in the Catalog Related Topics.
Selecting one of the Resources in the Catalog links generates a live Chinook search for country-specific e-resources on economics, history, or politics. There's also an option to limit your search to government information only.
A number of instructors direct their students to use the guides. The country pages are also among the most frequently-searched-for items in the guides database.
Although some of the links are limited to CU-Boulder because of license restrictions, a majority of the links are to freely available resources.
The Government Publications Library at the University of Colorado at Boulder is happy to announce that its country pages for ALL countries of the world are now complete. You can access the pages directly from the Government Publications website (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm) OR by searching the Research & Subject Guides Database (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/guides/index.cfm) by country name.
For ease of use, each page is arranged in a consistent manner. A navigation menu at the top provides quick access to frequently-requested information:
Government Information Country Profiles Articles & Databases Diplomatic Relations Health Peacekeeping & Military Information Resources in the Catalog Related Topics.
Selecting one of the Resources in the Catalog links generates a live Chinook search for country-specific e-resources on economics, history, or politics. There's also an option to limit your search to government information only.
A number of instructors direct their students to use the guides. The country pages are also among the most frequently-searched-for items in the guides database.
Although some of the links are limited to CU-Boulder because of license restrictions, a majority of the links are to freely available resources.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Washoe County is surveying citizens for budget priorities and comments. If you, as a citizen, want to let your commissioner(s) know where you think County budget should be cut/spent/increased, what's important to you, etc., fill out their survey at:
http://www.washoecounty.us/index/surveys.html~survey_dept=&sid=5
Hint, hint - increase library budget
http://www.washoecounty.us/index/surveys.html~survey_dept=&sid=5
Hint, hint - increase library budget
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Iraqi Perspectives Project Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents
Volume 1 (Redacted)
http://a.abcnews.com/images/pdf/Pentagon_Report_V1.pdf
The related article "Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda is available http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2008/03/report-shows-no.html
Volume 1 (Redacted)
http://a.abcnews.com/images/pdf/Pentagon_Report_V1.pdf
The related article "Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda is available http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2008/03/report-shows-no.html
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Nevada Health Division has removed from its Web homepage a report detailing the status of its on-going inspections of 50 surgical centers in Nevada.Spokeswoman Martha Framsted said the division is working to make the report more user-friendly, concerned the public might not understand all of the terminology in it.She said the new report is expected to be posted to the web site by Thursday morning.
The report has been posted at Ambulatory Surgical Center Actions
The report has been posted at Ambulatory Surgical Center Actions
Decisions of the Interior Board of Indian Appeals have been made available on the Internet again.
The new web site was originally set up by the now deceased Administrative Judge Anita Vogt of the Office of Hearings and Appeals last year. At the time it started, Judge Vogt felt strongly that these decisions should be made available to the public, despite the limitations involved with the Cobell case. As you know, the Cobell case had shut down access to the Office of Hearings and Appeals website several years ago, including access to a database that had been set up on their website of IBIA and IBLA decisions.
The new site ( http://www.ibiadecisions.com ) is now being regularly updated by another Administrative Judge in the Office of Hearings and Appeals and will continue to be updated by her for the foreseeable future. A librarian at the Office of Hearings and Appeals believes it is reliable and can be referred to when searching for these decisions.
This site contains decisions issued by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA)
from its inception in 1970, and includes some decisions of the Interior Board of Land
Appeals, volumes 125-173, and Indian Self-Determination Act Decisions. It also
includes surveys of IBIA decisions on three subjects: Land Acquisition (Updated
version, April 1, 2004), Probate (August 22, 2000), and Tribal Government (July 13,
1998). These surveys were prepared by Interior Department Field Solicitor Priscilla
A. Wilfahrt, who has graciously permitted their inclusion here.
Judy Din
Technical Services and Systems Support Manager U.S. Dept. of the Interior Library MS 1151
1849 C. St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
(202) 208-3402
Judy_L_Din@nbc.gov
The new web site was originally set up by the now deceased Administrative Judge Anita Vogt of the Office of Hearings and Appeals last year. At the time it started, Judge Vogt felt strongly that these decisions should be made available to the public, despite the limitations involved with the Cobell case. As you know, the Cobell case had shut down access to the Office of Hearings and Appeals website several years ago, including access to a database that had been set up on their website of IBIA and IBLA decisions.
The new site ( http://www.ibiadecisions.com ) is now being regularly updated by another Administrative Judge in the Office of Hearings and Appeals and will continue to be updated by her for the foreseeable future. A librarian at the Office of Hearings and Appeals believes it is reliable and can be referred to when searching for these decisions.
This site contains decisions issued by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA)
from its inception in 1970, and includes some decisions of the Interior Board of Land
Appeals, volumes 125-173, and Indian Self-Determination Act Decisions. It also
includes surveys of IBIA decisions on three subjects: Land Acquisition (Updated
version, April 1, 2004), Probate (August 22, 2000), and Tribal Government (July 13,
1998). These surveys were prepared by Interior Department Field Solicitor Priscilla
A. Wilfahrt, who has graciously permitted their inclusion here.
Judy Din
Technical Services and Systems Support Manager U.S. Dept. of the Interior Library MS 1151
1849 C. St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
(202) 208-3402
Judy_L_Din@nbc.gov
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Washoe County Quick Map Debut
A new simple Web search application has been added to the county’s GIS toolsets. It was developed to assist county front-line staff in answering questions from citizens, such as which Commissioner District, Precinct or General Improvement Districts they reside.
Users can search by address, parcel number or street intersection. The program will search the map layers related to that address and present results in a table format. The table lists planning area, Voter Precinct, Senate District, Assembly District, Board of Education, University Regent, Commission District, City Ward, Standard Trustee, General Trustee, General Improvement District, township and zip code. With one additional click, users can get detailed parcel information through Assessor’s Office Quick Info and map detail through the Map Warehouse. Here is the link to Quick Map: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/. Or you can go to the GIS homepage and click the Quick Map icon. If you have any suggestions or run into technical problems, please contact Matt Lawton at mlawton@washoecounty.us. Happy Clicking!!
A new simple Web search application has been added to the county’s GIS toolsets. It was developed to assist county front-line staff in answering questions from citizens, such as which Commissioner District, Precinct or General Improvement Districts they reside.
Users can search by address, parcel number or street intersection. The program will search the map layers related to that address and present results in a table format. The table lists planning area, Voter Precinct, Senate District, Assembly District, Board of Education, University Regent, Commission District, City Ward, Standard Trustee, General Trustee, General Improvement District, township and zip code. With one additional click, users can get detailed parcel information through Assessor’s Office Quick Info and map detail through the Map Warehouse. Here is the link to Quick Map: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/. Or you can go to the GIS homepage and click the Quick Map icon. If you have any suggestions or run into technical problems, please contact Matt Lawton at mlawton@washoecounty.us. Happy Clicking!!
WASHOE COUNTY BUDGET HEARINGS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON CHANNEL 17 AND AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND
Reno, Nevada March 7, 2008. Washoe County Department budget presentations are scheduled for March 10, 17 and 24 and will be broadcast live on WCTV-17 as well as posted on the County’s video-on demand website by the next day at the latest. To get each Department’s live budget presentation date and time and video on demand schedule, go to www.washoecounty.us and click on the WCTV-17 online link for video on demand and www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html for budget information.
Washoe County elected officials and Department heads will present these strategies to the Board of Commissioners about how they will meet the projected $20.7 million deficit in the 2008-09 budget within their individual departments. Recommended reductions range from 2.5% for public safety, 5% for judicial/health/social services, 10% for administrative/executive/legal/operations and 15% for cultural/educational.
The spending reductions are necessary because sales tax revenues, which make up nearly 40% of the County’s general fund, are lower than projected. In fact, County Commissioners recently received a report from County Finance staff that 16 of the last 17 months have sales tax revenues lower than the same period a year ago—the longest sustained decrease in decades.
Related Links:
Budget Overview (http://www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html)
Reno, Nevada March 7, 2008. Washoe County Department budget presentations are scheduled for March 10, 17 and 24 and will be broadcast live on WCTV-17 as well as posted on the County’s video-on demand website by the next day at the latest. To get each Department’s live budget presentation date and time and video on demand schedule, go to www.washoecounty.us and click on the WCTV-17 online link for video on demand and www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html for budget information.
Washoe County elected officials and Department heads will present these strategies to the Board of Commissioners about how they will meet the projected $20.7 million deficit in the 2008-09 budget within their individual departments. Recommended reductions range from 2.5% for public safety, 5% for judicial/health/social services, 10% for administrative/executive/legal/operations and 15% for cultural/educational.
The spending reductions are necessary because sales tax revenues, which make up nearly 40% of the County’s general fund, are lower than projected. In fact, County Commissioners recently received a report from County Finance staff that 16 of the last 17 months have sales tax revenues lower than the same period a year ago—the longest sustained decrease in decades.
Related Links:
Budget Overview (http://www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html)
Census 2010 in Trouble
http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030508n1.htm
Census Bureau facing huge cost increase, possible delays in 2010 effort By Gautham Nagesh *gnagesh@govexec.com*March 5, 2008
The 2010 Census is at serious risk of massive cost increases and delays caused by problems with a contract to develop handheld computers that the Census Bureau plans to use to collect data.
Because of the problems, costs for the decennial census could increase by between $600 million to $2 billion, according to testimonygiven by the Government Accountability Office Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The increase would be on top of the $11.8 billion the bureau estimates the census will cost.
The problems with the contract are so great that the GAO took the unusual step of adding the project to its list of high-risk programs during mid-year. Typically, GAO adds programs to its risk list every two years at the beginning of new Congresses. GAO has added programs during mid-sessions only four times.
"So serious is the crisis that if it is not dealt with immediately, it could threaten the integrity of the 2010 count," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in his opening statement at the hearing. "We now find ourselves facing a situation in which we might have to revert to conducting the census entirely by paper -- no differently than it was done in the 19th century."
The source of the trouble is the Field Data Collection Automation Contract, which the bureau awarded in 2006 to Harris Corp. for $595 million. Under the contract, Harris is developing handheld computers for 525,000 enumerators who will use them to collect data from Americans who do not send in their census forms. Since awarding the contract, the project has experienced problems <http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0108/010208h1.htm>, including changing system requirements, which have caused costs to increase and the bureau to miss deadlines.
At the hearing, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez acknowledged in blunt terms that "significant miscommunication concerning technical requirements between the Census Bureau and Harris" were a main reason for the failings.
David Powner, director of information technology management issues at GAO, said final requirements for the FDCA program were not delivered to Harris until Jan. 16.
For years, the bureau's top executives have downplayed any perceptions that the contract was in trouble. Most recently, at a Dec. 11 hearing of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives, former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon blamed the delays on Congress' inability to pass the bureau's budget and downplayed the nature of the program's shortcomings.
However, at Wednesday's hearing, Gutierrez testified that "the problem was more significant than had been conveyed in the Dec. 11 hearing" and admitted that the Census Bureau and Harris "could have done things differently and better over the past couple years."
"This is a case of classic risk mismanagement," said Bob Charette, a risk management expert who consults with federal agencies. "Very early in the contract, [the Census Bureau] should have realized they did not do some of things they should have for a large-scale automation like this. Doing it now is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone."
Gutierrez and Steven Murdock, who recently replaced Kincannon as head of the bureau, offered four options to fix the contract's problems. Under one, called the baseline option, Harris and the Census Bureau would complete the FDCA project as planned, while each of the other options progressively remove a number of functionalities of the handhelds, with those functions being completed by paper. The $600 million to $2 billion estimate of the cost increase depends largely on which option is chosen. But sources expressed doubt about that estimate because the bureau cannot accurately predict the cost and timeframe of the 2010 census at this time.
http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030508n1.htm
Census Bureau facing huge cost increase, possible delays in 2010 effort By Gautham Nagesh *gnagesh@govexec.com*
The 2010 Census is at serious risk of massive cost increases and delays caused by problems with a contract to develop handheld computers that the Census Bureau plans to use to collect data.
Because of the problems, costs for the decennial census could increase by between $600 million to $2 billion, according to testimony
The problems with the contract are so great that the GAO took the unusual step of adding the project to its list of high-risk programs during mid-year. Typically, GAO adds programs to its risk list every two years at the beginning of new Congresses. GAO has added programs during mid-sessions only four times.
"So serious is the crisis that if it is not dealt with immediately, it could threaten the integrity of the 2010 count," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in his opening statement at the hearing. "We now find ourselves facing a situation in which we might have to revert to conducting the census entirely by paper -- no differently than it was done in the 19th century."
The source of the trouble is the Field Data Collection Automation Contract, which the bureau awarded in 2006 to Harris Corp. for $595 million. Under the contract, Harris is developing handheld computers for 525,000 enumerators who will use them to collect data from Americans who do not send in their census forms. Since awarding the contract, the project has experienced problems <http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0108/010208h1.htm>, including changing system requirements, which have caused costs to increase and the bureau to miss deadlines.
At the hearing, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez acknowledged in blunt terms that "significant miscommunication concerning technical requirements between the Census Bureau and Harris" were a main reason for the failings.
David Powner, director of information technology management issues at GAO, said final requirements for the FDCA program were not delivered to Harris until Jan. 16.
For years, the bureau's top executives have downplayed any perceptions that the contract was in trouble. Most recently, at a Dec. 11 hearing of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives, former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon blamed the delays on Congress' inability to pass the bureau's budget and downplayed the nature of the program's shortcomings.
However, at Wednesday's hearing, Gutierrez testified that "the problem was more significant than had been conveyed in the Dec. 11 hearing" and admitted that the Census Bureau and Harris "could have done things differently and better over the past couple years."
"This is a case of classic risk mismanagement," said Bob Charette, a risk management expert who consults with federal agencies. "Very early in the contract, [the Census Bureau] should have realized they did not do some of things they should have for a large-scale automation like this. Doing it now is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone."
Gutierrez and Steven Murdock, who recently replaced Kincannon as head of the bureau, offered four options to fix the contract's problems. Under one, called the baseline option, Harris and the Census Bureau would complete the FDCA project as planned, while each of the other options progressively remove a number of functionalities of the handhelds, with those functions being completed by paper. The $600 million to $2 billion estimate of the cost increase depends largely on which option is chosen. But sources expressed doubt about that estimate because the bureau cannot accurately predict the cost and timeframe of the 2010 census at this time.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus will stop at two Washoe County libraries during its visit to northern Nevada. The 45-foot, mobile, multi-media demonstration center and TV production unit brings the world of public affairs to communities nationwide. Educators, media specialists, high school and middle school students, college students, legislators and voters are all welcomed aboard. The bus is intended to engage voters in the presidential election process.
The library schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.-noon
Spanish Springs Library (Lazy 5 Park)
7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Sparks
424-1800
Saturday, March 15, 1-3 p.m.
Northwest Reno Library
2325 Robb Drive, Reno
787-4100
The purpose of the bus is to introduce students, teachers and bus visitors to C-SPAN as an educational resource. Visitors learn about the importance of media literacy and the historic 2008 presidential race. A typical visit to the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus includes an interactive demonstration about C-SPAN programming, media literacy skills and the 2008 presidential election.
Everyone is welcome to visit the bus and enjoy a multi-media political experience. Please see www.campaign2008bus.org for more information on the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.
The library schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.-noon
Spanish Springs Library (Lazy 5 Park)
7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Sparks
424-1800
Saturday, March 15, 1-3 p.m.
Northwest Reno Library
2325 Robb Drive, Reno
787-4100
The purpose of the bus is to introduce students, teachers and bus visitors to C-SPAN as an educational resource. Visitors learn about the importance of media literacy and the historic 2008 presidential race. A typical visit to the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus includes an interactive demonstration about C-SPAN programming, media literacy skills and the 2008 presidential election.
Everyone is welcome to visit the bus and enjoy a multi-media political experience. Please see www.campaign2008bus.org for more information on the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.
Based FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1202) DoD is required to submit a report "...on the current and future military strategy of the People's Republic of China. The report shall address the current and probable future course of military-technological development on the People's Liberation Army and the tenets and probable development of Chinese grand strategy, security strategy, and military strategy, and of the military organizations and operational concepts, through the next 20 years."
The 2008 DoD Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China for has been released and is available at http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf
Previous reports can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/china.html
The 2008 DoD Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China for has been released and is available at http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf
Previous reports can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/china.html
Monday, March 03, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 13, 2008 No. 08-06 GPO MEDIA CONTACT: GARY SOMERSET 202.512.1957, 202.355.3997 cell UIC MEDIA CONTACT: LINDA NARU 312.413.0394 GPO AND DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES PARTNER TO OFFER ONLINE REFERENCE ASSISTANCE
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) joins the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Federal Depository Libraries around the country to provide an online reference service to the American public. This unique free web based "Ask a Librarian" service will give the public an opportunity to ask librarians questions about government resources. An example of how this service works: with the current process in the Presidential elections, the public may have questions about the primaries, caucuses and Electoral College process. A librarian is available at <http://govtinfo.org> to answer those or any other questions about the government.
"This service enables GPO and the depository libraries to help Americans answer questions about their democracy by connecting them to the expertise offered by Government reference librarians," said Ric Davis, Acting Superintendent of Documents. "This is another example of the strong partnership GPO has with the Federal Depository Library community in their commitment of Keeping America Informed."
UIC will manage and maintain this service called "Government Information
Online: Ask a Librarian". GIO is supported by nearly 20 public, academic and state libraries throughout the country. Librarians are specialized in finding government information on any topic.
"GIO promotes and complements the growing digital initiatives of both UIC and GPO as well as the digital Government information provided through the Federal Depository Library Program," said Mary Case, University Librarian at UIC. "We are pleased to be able to collaborate on this exciting initiative with GPO, our Committee on Institutional Cooperation colleagues and a growing number of depository libraries around the country."
About GPO:
The GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three Branches of the Federal Government.
In addition to publication sales, GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO Access (www.gpoaccess.gov), and through partnerships with more than 1,250 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit <www.gpo.gov>.
About UIC:
UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. UIC also is one to twelve research universities in the Midwest with membership in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which strives to advance academic by sharing resources and promoting and coordinating collaborative activities across the member universities. For more information about UIC, please visit <www.uic.edu>
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) joins the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Federal Depository Libraries around the country to provide an online reference service to the American public. This unique free web based "Ask a Librarian" service will give the public an opportunity to ask librarians questions about government resources. An example of how this service works: with the current process in the Presidential elections, the public may have questions about the primaries, caucuses and Electoral College process. A librarian is available at <http://govtinfo.org> to answer those or any other questions about the government.
"This service enables GPO and the depository libraries to help Americans answer questions about their democracy by connecting them to the expertise offered by Government reference librarians," said Ric Davis, Acting Superintendent of Documents. "This is another example of the strong partnership GPO has with the Federal Depository Library community in their commitment of Keeping America Informed."
UIC will manage and maintain this service called "Government Information
Online: Ask a Librarian". GIO is supported by nearly 20 public, academic and state libraries throughout the country. Librarians are specialized in finding government information on any topic.
"GIO promotes and complements the growing digital initiatives of both UIC and GPO as well as the digital Government information provided through the Federal Depository Library Program," said Mary Case, University Librarian at UIC. "We are pleased to be able to collaborate on this exciting initiative with GPO, our Committee on Institutional Cooperation colleagues and a growing number of depository libraries around the country."
About GPO:
The GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three Branches of the Federal Government.
In addition to publication sales, GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO Access (www.gpoaccess.gov), and through partnerships with more than 1,250 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit <www.gpo.gov>.
About UIC:
UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. UIC also is one to twelve research universities in the Midwest with membership in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which strives to advance academic by sharing resources and promoting and coordinating collaborative activities across the member universities. For more information about UIC, please visit <www.uic.edu>
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Washington Affairs Office <http://www.aallnet.org/aallwash/> of the American Association of Law Libraries <http://www.aallnet.org/> is pleased to announce its new blog <http://aallwash.wordpress.com/> [http://aallwash.wordpress.com <http://aallwash.wordpress.com/> ]! The blog, named AALL's Washington Blawg, will highlight bills we're tracking in Congress, Action Alerts, news and resources, events we're participating in, and more. We will address important topics such as access to government information, digital authentication <http://www.aallnet.org/summit/default.asp> , copyright, and open government issues.
You can keep up with our regular updates by subscribing to the RSS feed <http://aallwash.wordpress.com/feed> , signing up for email updates <http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1707127&loc=en_
US> , or by visiting the blog for the latest news. We hope the blog
serves as another way to keep you informed about the Washington Affairs Office.
You can keep up with our regular updates by subscribing to the RSS feed <http://aallwash.wordpress.com/feed> , signing up for email updates <http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1707127&loc=en_
US> , or by visiting the blog for the latest news. We hope the blog
serves as another way to keep you informed about the Washington Affairs Office.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rand has posted the final report of their Counterinsurgency Study series. The central question the study attempted to answer was "How should the United States improve its capabilities to counter insurgencies, particularly those that are heavily influenced by transnational terrorist movements and thus linked into a global jihadist network?"
War by Other Means -- Building Complete and Balanced Capabilities for Counterinsurgency. RAND Counterinsurgency Study -- Final Report
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG595.2.pdf
War by Other Means -- Building Complete and Balanced Capabilities for Counterinsurgency. RAND Counterinsurgency Study -- Final Report
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG595.2.pdf
The Defense Science Board (DSB) has posted their latest report
"The Defense Science Board Permanent Task Force on Nuclear Surety:
Report on the Unauthorized Movement of Nuclear Weapons."
The report is available directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2008-02-Nuclear_Weapons_Surety.pdf or from the DSB report site - http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm
"The Task Force report is an independent assessment of the systemic causes of the August 30 unauthorized movement of nuclear warheads from Minot AFB, North Dakota to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Based on the information and insights gained from investigating and assessing these systemic causes, the report includes 16 recommendations to strengthen nuclear weapons surety."
"The Defense Science Board Permanent Task Force on Nuclear Surety:
Report on the Unauthorized Movement of Nuclear Weapons."
The report is available directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2008-02-Nuclear_Weapons_Surety.pdf or from the DSB report site - http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm
"The Task Force report is an independent assessment of the systemic causes of the August 30 unauthorized movement of nuclear warheads from Minot AFB, North Dakota to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Based on the information and insights gained from investigating and assessing these systemic causes, the report includes 16 recommendations to strengthen nuclear weapons surety."
Thursday, February 07, 2008
National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission has just released their final report which is available on their website,
http://www.transportationfortomorrow.org/
http://www.transportationfortomorrow.org/
A New Treasury Site
Major Foreign Holders of Treasury Securities (in billions of dollars) http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt
This covers major holders by country by billions of dollars for the current and previous 12 months (i.e. Nov 2007-Nov 2006)
The general site is:
Treasury International Capital System - Home Page http://www.treas.gov/tic/
Major Foreign Holders of Treasury Securities (in billions of dollars) http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt
This covers major holders by country by billions of dollars for the current and previous 12 months (i.e. Nov 2007-Nov 2006)
The general site is:
Treasury International Capital System - Home Page http://www.treas.gov/tic/
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Go to http://www.maplight.org/widgets and you can get the code for widgets showing fundraising by presidential race, US Congressional district and CA races. Fun way to add content to election related pages...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
President Bush has signed the Act that you'll see referenced below that makes the deposit of government-funded health research mandatory! As you might possibly remember, the requirement that investigators using NIH money deposit their manuscipts into PubMed Central (PMC) within 12 months after publication that went into effect in 2005 as a result of the efforts of Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health, was not mandatory. Dr. Zerhouni wanted it to be mandatory, but lobbyists for medical publishers watered it down until the enacting language was changed from "required" to "recommended". As a result only abvout 5% to 7% of such manuscipts have been available via PubMed Central since 2005. But with this Consolidated Appropriations Act the language is now changed to "required". This is analogous to the release of publically-funded education research via ERIC. It doesn't happen often, but we've won one! We should now all start offering training in PMC to our academic and public library customers.
Link to PubMed Central--
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pmc
Link to PubMed Central--
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pmc
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
washoe County building and safety officials continue policy of mutual aid to fernley citizens
Reno, Nevada. January 9, 2008. Washoe County personnel are part of the cavalry of local government who are assisting Fernley in their recovery efforts from last weekend’s devastating flood which affected so many residents in that area.
When the Fernley disaster initially hit, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office deployed search and rescue personnel to aid local first responders in rescuing residents from their flooded homes. Subsequently, Washoe County Building and Safety officials sent six employees to assist Fernley Building officials with damage assessment and administrative work.
Washoe County Building and Safety Director Don Jeppson spoke about his Department’s philosophy of assistance. "We have a standing policy of supporting our fellow jurisdictions during times of emergency," Jeppson states. "During last summer’s South Lake Tahoe fire, we offered help to El Dorado County, and in the past, the local building departments have also mutually supported each other during flood and snow events. We know that our counterparts would also help us out during difficult times to ensure public safety and well-being."
In addition, Washoe County’s Roads Director Bill Oroszi has offered street sweeper equipment to Fernley along with personnel to operate it. To speak to a Washoe County Building and Safety employee currently working in Fernley, please contact Building and Safety Director Don Jeppson directly at 775-328-2030.
Reno, Nevada. January 9, 2008. Washoe County personnel are part of the cavalry of local government who are assisting Fernley in their recovery efforts from last weekend’s devastating flood which affected so many residents in that area.
When the Fernley disaster initially hit, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office deployed search and rescue personnel to aid local first responders in rescuing residents from their flooded homes. Subsequently, Washoe County Building and Safety officials sent six employees to assist Fernley Building officials with damage assessment and administrative work.
Washoe County Building and Safety Director Don Jeppson spoke about his Department’s philosophy of assistance. "We have a standing policy of supporting our fellow jurisdictions during times of emergency," Jeppson states. "During last summer’s South Lake Tahoe fire, we offered help to El Dorado County, and in the past, the local building departments have also mutually supported each other during flood and snow events. We know that our counterparts would also help us out during difficult times to ensure public safety and well-being."
In addition, Washoe County’s Roads Director Bill Oroszi has offered street sweeper equipment to Fernley along with personnel to operate it. To speak to a Washoe County Building and Safety employee currently working in Fernley, please contact Building and Safety Director Don Jeppson directly at 775-328-2030.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Office of the Secretary Defense has released its new "Unmanned Systems Roadmap, 2007-2023." This is the first integrated report and includes Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Unmanned Ground Systems and Unmanned Maritime Systems.
The report is available directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/usd/Unmanned%20Systems%20Roadmap.2007-2032.pdf
Some highlights from the executive summary:
As of October 2006, coalition Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), exclusive of hand-launched systems, had flown almost 400,000 flight hours in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) had responded to over 11,000 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) situations, and Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMSs) had provided security to ports. As a result of these successes, the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) emphasized the importance of unmanned systems in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
Unmanned systems are highly desired by combatant commanders (COCOMs) for the many roles these systems can fulfill. Tasks such as mine detection; signals intelligence; precision target designation; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) reconnaissance; and communications and data relay rank high among the COCOMs' interests.
These unmanned capabilities have helped reduce the complexity and time lag in the "sensor" component of the sensor-to-shooter chain for prosecuting "actionable intelligence." Unmanned systems are changing the conduct of military operations in the GWOT by providing unrelenting pursuit combined with the elimination of threats to friendly forces; including injury, capture, or death.
The report is available directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/usd/Unmanned%20Systems%20Roadmap.2007-2032.pdf
Some highlights from the executive summary:
As of October 2006, coalition Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), exclusive of hand-launched systems, had flown almost 400,000 flight hours in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) had responded to over 11,000 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) situations, and Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMSs) had provided security to ports. As a result of these successes, the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) emphasized the importance of unmanned systems in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
Unmanned systems are highly desired by combatant commanders (COCOMs) for the many roles these systems can fulfill. Tasks such as mine detection; signals intelligence; precision target designation; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) reconnaissance; and communications and data relay rank high among the COCOMs' interests.
These unmanned capabilities have helped reduce the complexity and time lag in the "sensor" component of the sensor-to-shooter chain for prosecuting "actionable intelligence." Unmanned systems are changing the conduct of military operations in the GWOT by providing unrelenting pursuit combined with the elimination of threats to friendly forces; including injury, capture, or death.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Current U.S. National Strategies
from http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/archive.html
National Strategy for Homeland Security July 2002 White House Office of Homeland Security http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/index.html
National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberspace_strategy.pdf
National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical_strategy.pdf
National Military Strategy February 2004 (March 2005?) Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nms.pdf
National Defense Strategy March 2005 (April 2005?) Office of the Secretary of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/d20050408strategy.pdf
National Intelligence Strategy October 2005 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.dni.gov/publications/NISOctober2005.pdf
National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza November 2005 Homeland Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi.pdf
National Strategy for Victory in Iraq November 2005 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_national_strategy_20051130.p
df
National Military Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pdf/NMS-CWMD2006.pdf
National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/2006-01-25-Strategic-Plan.pdf
National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/counter_terrorism/counte
r_terrorism_strategy.pdf
The National Security Strategy
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/nss2006.pdf
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf
National Counterintelligence Strategy March 2007 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.ncix.gov/publications/policy/FinalCIStrategyforWebMarch21.pdf
from http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/archive.html
National Strategy for Homeland Security July 2002 White House Office of Homeland Security http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/index.html
National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberspace_strategy.pdf
National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical_strategy.pdf
National Military Strategy February 2004 (March 2005?) Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nms.pdf
National Defense Strategy March 2005 (April 2005?) Office of the Secretary of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/d20050408strategy.pdf
National Intelligence Strategy October 2005 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.dni.gov/publications/NISOctober2005.pdf
National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza November 2005 Homeland Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi.pdf
National Strategy for Victory in Iraq November 2005 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_national_strategy_20051130.p
df
National Military Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pdf/NMS-CWMD2006.pdf
National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/2006-01-25-Strategic-Plan.pdf
National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/counter_terrorism/counte
r_terrorism_strategy.pdf
The National Security Strategy
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/nss2006.pdf
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf
National Counterintelligence Strategy March 2007 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.ncix.gov/publications/policy/FinalCIStrategyforWebMarch21.pdf
Monday, December 03, 2007
FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES OFFER FREE ACCESS TO COURT E-RECORDS
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) have entered into a two-year pilot project with the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts (AOUSC) to provide access to its PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) service.
The PACER system can provide remote access to case and docket information from the Federal Courts via the Internet. Records include information from the Appellate, District and Bankruptcy Courts. Users of PACER are able to access information about a case including the names of all the parties, judges and attorneys involved in the case, case history and status as well as many of the documents submitted by the parties to the court.
Seventeen depositories, representing diverse types and sizes of libraries as well as different geographic locations, were selected to take part in the PACER pilot. With these libraries promoting the PACER service to the public, we anticipate the pilot will determine that Federal depository library access to PACER expands usage to those who currently do not have it available to them or would be inhibited by going to a court house to use the service.
The Federal depository libraries participating in the PACER pilot are:
* Alaska State Court Law Library (Alaska)
* Sacramento County Public Law Library, (California)
* San Bernardino County Law Library (California)
* Library of Congress/Law Library of Congress (District of
Columbia)
* Nova Southeastern University Law Library (Florida)
* 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Library (Illinois)
* Northern Kentucky University Steely Library/Chase Law Library
(Kentucky)
* Portland Public Library (Maine)
* University of Michigan Law School Library (Michigan)
* Wayne State University Arthur Neef Law Library, (Michigan)
* Rutgers University, Newark Law Library (New Jersey)
* New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library (New Mexico)
* Fordham University School of Law Leo T. Kissam Memorial Library (New York)
* State Library of Ohio (Ohio)
* Rogers State University Stratton Taylor Library (Oklahoma)
* University of Tennessee College of Law Joel A. Katz Law Library (Tennessee)
* Lee College Library (Texas)
The Government Printing Office thanks these libraries, and the other Federal depository libraries that volunteered for the pilot project, for their enthusiasm to provide PACER to their users. For more information about the project please contact Cindy Etkin at cetkin@gpo.gov.
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) have entered into a two-year pilot project with the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts (AOUSC) to provide access to its PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) service.
The PACER system can provide remote access to case and docket information from the Federal Courts via the Internet. Records include information from the Appellate, District and Bankruptcy Courts. Users of PACER are able to access information about a case including the names of all the parties, judges and attorneys involved in the case, case history and status as well as many of the documents submitted by the parties to the court.
Seventeen depositories, representing diverse types and sizes of libraries as well as different geographic locations, were selected to take part in the PACER pilot. With these libraries promoting the PACER service to the public, we anticipate the pilot will determine that Federal depository library access to PACER expands usage to those who currently do not have it available to them or would be inhibited by going to a court house to use the service.
The Federal depository libraries participating in the PACER pilot are:
* Alaska State Court Law Library (Alaska)
* Sacramento County Public Law Library, (California)
* San Bernardino County Law Library (California)
* Library of Congress/Law Library of Congress (District of
Columbia)
* Nova Southeastern University Law Library (Florida)
* 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Library (Illinois)
* Northern Kentucky University Steely Library/Chase Law Library
(Kentucky)
* Portland Public Library (Maine)
* University of Michigan Law School Library (Michigan)
* Wayne State University Arthur Neef Law Library, (Michigan)
* Rutgers University, Newark Law Library (New Jersey)
* New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library (New Mexico)
* Fordham University School of Law Leo T. Kissam Memorial Library (New York)
* State Library of Ohio (Ohio)
* Rogers State University Stratton Taylor Library (Oklahoma)
* University of Tennessee College of Law Joel A. Katz Law Library (Tennessee)
* Lee College Library (Texas)
The Government Printing Office thanks these libraries, and the other Federal depository libraries that volunteered for the pilot project, for their enthusiasm to provide PACER to their users. For more information about the project please contact Cindy Etkin at cetkin@gpo.gov.
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Defense Science Board has posted a new report on the Deployment of Members of the National Guard and Reserves in the Global War on Terror.
The report can be found at on the DSB reports page -- http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm or directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-11-National_Guard_and_Reserve_in_the_Global_War_on_Terrorism.pdf
The task force examined the question of optimal length and frequency of deployment of members of the National Guard and reserve. According to the report, the task force found "that there is a general consensus that the guidelines for the reserve components satisfy their needs for predictability and sustainability. However, given current levels of operational demand, today's Army active National Guard, and reserve force structure will not support DoD's policy. Nor can it be supported when planned increases in end-strength are reached."
The report also expressed concern about the availability of Guard and reserve personnel and equipment to meet homeland security, civil support and domestic emergency requirements along with the robust overseas deployments.
Various charts and graphs are included.
The report can be found at on the DSB reports page -- http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm or directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-11-National_Guard_and_Reserve_in_the_Global_War_on_Terrorism.pdf
The task force examined the question of optimal length and frequency of deployment of members of the National Guard and reserve. According to the report, the task force found "that there is a general consensus that the guidelines for the reserve components satisfy their needs for predictability and sustainability. However, given current levels of operational demand, today's Army active National Guard, and reserve force structure will not support DoD's policy. Nor can it be supported when planned increases in end-strength are reached."
The report also expressed concern about the availability of Guard and reserve personnel and equipment to meet homeland security, civil support and domestic emergency requirements along with the robust overseas deployments.
Various charts and graphs are included.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Launch of the Government of Canada Web Archive (GCWA)
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will launch the "Government of Canada Web Archive" on November 20, 2007. The site can be found at:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/
The Library and Archives of Canada Act received Royal Assent on April 22, 2004, allowing Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to collect and preserve a representative sample of Canadian websites. To meet its new mandate, LAC began to harvest the Web domain of the Federal Government of Canada starting in December 2005. As resources permit, this harvesting activity will be undertaken on a semi-annual basis. The harvested website data is stored in the "Government of Canada Web Archive" (GCWA). Client access to the content of the GCWA is provided through searching full text by keyword, by department name and by URL.
It is also possible to search by specific format type, (e.g., *.PDF). By the fall 2007, approximately 100 million digital objects (over 4
terabytes) of archived federal government website data will be made accessible via the LAC website.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has implemented this first significant Canadian Web archive through the use of open source tools, developed by the International Internet Preservation Consortium (http://www.netpreserve.org), of which LAC is a member. The goal of this organization is to collect, preserve and ensure long-term access to Internet content from around the world through the collaborative development of common tools and techniques for developing Web archives.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will launch the "Government of Canada Web Archive" on November 20, 2007. The site can be found at:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/
The Library and Archives of Canada Act received Royal Assent on April 22, 2004, allowing Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to collect and preserve a representative sample of Canadian websites. To meet its new mandate, LAC began to harvest the Web domain of the Federal Government of Canada starting in December 2005. As resources permit, this harvesting activity will be undertaken on a semi-annual basis. The harvested website data is stored in the "Government of Canada Web Archive" (GCWA). Client access to the content of the GCWA is provided through searching full text by keyword, by department name and by URL.
It is also possible to search by specific format type, (e.g., *.PDF). By the fall 2007, approximately 100 million digital objects (over 4
terabytes) of archived federal government website data will be made accessible via the LAC website.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has implemented this first significant Canadian Web archive through the use of open source tools, developed by the International Internet Preservation Consortium (http://www.netpreserve.org), of which LAC is a member. The goal of this organization is to collect, preserve and ensure long-term access to Internet content from around the world through the collaborative development of common tools and techniques for developing Web archives.
Monday, November 19, 2007
From
Grace York, Coordinator,
Documents Center &
Political Science Librarian
University of Michigan Library
Elections 2008 is up and running at UMich:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/elec2008.html
Even though it is very early in the election process, there is a critical, if not overwhelming, mass of material. Using the quick jumps at the top of the page, you can navigate to presidential match sites, political advertising, likely Congressional candidates, campaign finances, public opinion polls, election calendars, and historic Presidential votes by Congressional District.
Multi-purpose election web sites are analyzed. Campaign finances appear in LEXIS Congressional as well as the FEC, advertisements in National Journal as well as the Livingroom Candidate, and the text of preconvention debates on the CNN and MSNBC sites.
There is some quirky material under issues, such as the roll call votes on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which states support stem cell research, and Eliot Spitzer's concession speech on driver's licenses for illegal aliens. If you are a Michigan voter, we're covering the Presidential primary situation.
Ray Walling and Alex Watson are going to help me upgrade the issues section over the next few weeks, and the web site will be continually updated over the next year.
Have fun with it and feel free to contribute your own favorite political web sites.
Grace York, Coordinator,
Documents Center &
Political Science Librarian
University of Michigan Library
Elections 2008 is up and running at UMich:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/elec2008.html
Even though it is very early in the election process, there is a critical, if not overwhelming, mass of material. Using the quick jumps at the top of the page, you can navigate to presidential match sites, political advertising, likely Congressional candidates, campaign finances, public opinion polls, election calendars, and historic Presidential votes by Congressional District.
Multi-purpose election web sites are analyzed. Campaign finances appear in LEXIS Congressional as well as the FEC, advertisements in National Journal as well as the Livingroom Candidate, and the text of preconvention debates on the CNN and MSNBC sites.
There is some quirky material under issues, such as the roll call votes on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which states support stem cell research, and Eliot Spitzer's concession speech on driver's licenses for illegal aliens. If you are a Michigan voter, we're covering the Presidential primary situation.
Ray Walling and Alex Watson are going to help me upgrade the issues section over the next few weeks, and the web site will be continually updated over the next year.
Have fun with it and feel free to contribute your own favorite political web sites.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
As noted in the news -- the Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff has just published a report on the Cost of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They estimate it could exceed $3.5 trillion.
"November 13: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will join Joint Economic Committee
(JEC) Chairman Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and JEC Vice Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today released a new report exposing the hidden costs of the war in Iraq. The Joint Economic Committee report investigates the costs of the war in Iraq that are not included in direct budgetary appropriations, including long term veteran's health care, foregone investment, oil market disruptions and interest payments on borrowed war funding. The JEC estimates these costs could total in the trillions of dollars."
Joint Economic Committee -- "War at Any Price?-the Total Economic Costs of the War Beyond the Federal Budget" and it is available at http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Reports/11.13.07IraqEconomicCostsReport.
pdf
The press release includes a brief summary
http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Releases/11.13.07IraqReportRelease.pdf
Individual charts are available as follows:
* The American Family Will Bear Heavy Burden to Pay for Wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/Chart2.pdf
* With No Change in Course, Total Costs Incurred per Family
Reach Almost $50,000 by 2017
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart1.pdf
* The Projected Interest Costs of Iraq War Alone are Higher than
the Cost of Children's Health Program and Health Research and Training http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart3.pdf
* Taxpayer Spending on Iraq War vs. Federal Spending on Other
Priorities
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart4.pdf
* Breaking Down the Costs of War in Iraq
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart5.pdf
* Total Economic Costs Under Future Scenarios
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart%20a-1
.pdf
* State-by-State Heat Map: States Bear Billions in Iraq War
Costs
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/state%20by%
20state%20new.pdf
The response from the Joint Economic Committee Republicans can be found at http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response.pdf
They say the report should be withdrawn -- that it is politically motivated and filled with errors and poor methodology.
A second press release from them indicates that some errors were quietly corrected on the web version.
http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response%2011-14.pdf
They estimate it could exceed $3.5 trillion.
"November 13: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will join Joint Economic Committee
(JEC) Chairman Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and JEC Vice Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today released a new report exposing the hidden costs of the war in Iraq. The Joint Economic Committee report investigates the costs of the war in Iraq that are not included in direct budgetary appropriations, including long term veteran's health care, foregone investment, oil market disruptions and interest payments on borrowed war funding. The JEC estimates these costs could total in the trillions of dollars."
Joint Economic Committee -- "War at Any Price?-the Total Economic Costs of the War Beyond the Federal Budget" and it is available at http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Reports/11.13.07IraqEconomicCostsReport.
The press release includes a brief summary
http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Releases/11.13.07IraqReportRelease.pdf
Individual charts are available as follows:
* The American Family Will Bear Heavy Burden to Pay for Wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/Chart2.pdf
* With No Change in Course, Total Costs Incurred per Family
Reach Almost $50,000 by 2017
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart1.pdf
* The Projected Interest Costs of Iraq War Alone are Higher than
the Cost of Children's Health Program and Health Research and Training http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart3.pdf
* Taxpayer Spending on Iraq War vs. Federal Spending on Other
Priorities
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart4.pdf
* Breaking Down the Costs of War in Iraq
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart5.pdf
* Total Economic Costs Under Future Scenarios
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart%20a-1
* State-by-State Heat Map: States Bear Billions in Iraq War
Costs
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/state%20by%
20state%20new.pdf
The response from the Joint Economic Committee Republicans can be found at http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response.pdf
They say the report should be withdrawn -- that it is politically motivated and filled with errors and poor methodology.
A second press release from them indicates that some errors were quietly corrected on the web version.
http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response%2011-14.pdf
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
WASHOE COUNTY prepared to serve homeless in overflow shelter
Reno, Nevada. November 13, 2007. In today’s Washoe County Commissioners Board meeting, Commissioners voted to approve the overflow homeless shelter’s lease agreement at 85 Edison Way in Sparks. They also approved the additional $17,236 provided to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission to support the operation.
Since its opening on December 8, 2006, the homeless overflow shelter has served hundreds of homeless individuals that may have been turned away due to full capacity at the men’s drop-in shelter at 315 Record Street and the women’s drop in shelter at 355 Record Street. "The necessity of this shelter is obvious," Gabrielle Enfield, Washoe County Community Support Administrator states. "These folks would be out on our streets, possibly freezing to death if it were not for this overflow facility." Enfield anticipated the need and began looking for county space for overflow shelter in the fall of 2006. Working with County resources, and with the cooperation of the Flood Control Project, she was able to identify and convert the vacant building at 85 Edison Way.
The overflow emergency cold weather shelter at 85 Edison Way will provide shelter for up to 60 men from November 15th through March 31, 2008. Individuals in need of shelter will receive an evening meal, an opportunity to shower, shelter for the night and a light breakfast in the morning.
The women’s shelter facility is expected to be completed this December and single women will be provided cold weather overflow shelter at the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission Women and Family Shelter and the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission building on the Record Street Site. The Reno Sparks Gospel Mission will provide the same services to homeless women during the cold months that are provided to men.
Washoe County is committed to addressing our community’s homeless issue and since 1996, has provided more than $3 million in funding.
###
Reno, Nevada. November 13, 2007. In today’s Washoe County Commissioners Board meeting, Commissioners voted to approve the overflow homeless shelter’s lease agreement at 85 Edison Way in Sparks. They also approved the additional $17,236 provided to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission to support the operation.
Since its opening on December 8, 2006, the homeless overflow shelter has served hundreds of homeless individuals that may have been turned away due to full capacity at the men’s drop-in shelter at 315 Record Street and the women’s drop in shelter at 355 Record Street. "The necessity of this shelter is obvious," Gabrielle Enfield, Washoe County Community Support Administrator states. "These folks would be out on our streets, possibly freezing to death if it were not for this overflow facility." Enfield anticipated the need and began looking for county space for overflow shelter in the fall of 2006. Working with County resources, and with the cooperation of the Flood Control Project, she was able to identify and convert the vacant building at 85 Edison Way.
The overflow emergency cold weather shelter at 85 Edison Way will provide shelter for up to 60 men from November 15th through March 31, 2008. Individuals in need of shelter will receive an evening meal, an opportunity to shower, shelter for the night and a light breakfast in the morning.
The women’s shelter facility is expected to be completed this December and single women will be provided cold weather overflow shelter at the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission Women and Family Shelter and the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission building on the Record Street Site. The Reno Sparks Gospel Mission will provide the same services to homeless women during the cold months that are provided to men.
Washoe County is committed to addressing our community’s homeless issue and since 1996, has provided more than $3 million in funding.
###
Thursday, November 08, 2007
The FBI has published its newest edition of its report summarizing terrorist activities in the US. The newest report - "Terrorism 2002-2005" can be found as follows and the previous reports are listed
below:
PDF -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.pdf
HTML -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.htm
According to the forward the report "provides an overview of the terrorist incidents and preventions designated by the FBI as having taken place in the United States and its territories during the years
2002 through 2005 and that are matters of public record. This publication does not include those incidents which the Bureau classifies under criminal rather than terrorism investigations. In addition, the report discusses major FBI investigations overseas and identifies significant events-including legislative actions, prosecutorial updates, and program developments-relevant to U.S. counterterrorism efforts."
The report includes a chart of "casualties of terrorism 1980-2005" as well as a chronological summary of the terrorist incidents in the US
1980-2005 which includes the date, location, incident type, perpetrator, killed or injured.
below:
PDF -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.pdf
HTML -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.htm
According to the forward the report "provides an overview of the terrorist incidents and preventions designated by the FBI as having taken place in the United States and its territories during the years
2002 through 2005 and that are matters of public record. This publication does not include those incidents which the Bureau classifies under criminal rather than terrorism investigations. In addition, the report discusses major FBI investigations overseas and identifies significant events-including legislative actions, prosecutorial updates, and program developments-relevant to U.S. counterterrorism efforts."
The report includes a chart of "casualties of terrorism 1980-2005" as well as a chronological summary of the terrorist incidents in the US
1980-2005 which includes the date, location, incident type, perpetrator, killed or injured.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
If you toil in the fields of government information, you may be interested to know that an urgent campaign is underway to strike language from the Senate version of the Farm Bill which would create a substantial new FOIA exemption and severely restrict public access to important information about farm animal health under a National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
OpenTheGovernment.org has written a letter to Senators expressing opposition to the non-disclosure language in the Senate version of the bill, and the American Library Association, Special Libraries Association, and American Association of Law Libraries are among the 28 organizations to sign on. Please see the letter at:
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/farm_bill_letter.pdf
As the letter states, Section 10305 of the Livestock Title of the Farm Bill approved October 25 by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to restrict and control disclosure of NAIS information, and imposes "disproportionately harsh penalties for press activities protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." The letter seeks to strike Section 10305 from the bill.
As always, it's important that legislators hear from THEIR constituents.
If you wish to lend your voice to this effort, please call or fax your Senators and let them know that you support the principles of transparency and disclosure expressed in the OpenTheGovernment.org letter, and urge them to oppose any version of the bill which includes
the non-disclosure provisions. Senate phone numbers are available on
the Senate website, and fax numbers are available from the sites of individual members:
http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm . A complete reiteration of all the points made in the letter isn't necessary - what's most important is that they hear from you, their constituents, that you want the non-disclosure language of Section 10305 removed. Senate floor action could come at any time this week, so please act quickly.
OpenTheGovernment.org has written a letter to Senators expressing opposition to the non-disclosure language in the Senate version of the bill, and the American Library Association, Special Libraries Association, and American Association of Law Libraries are among the 28 organizations to sign on. Please see the letter at:
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/farm_bill_letter.pdf
As the letter states, Section 10305 of the Livestock Title of the Farm Bill approved October 25 by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to restrict and control disclosure of NAIS information, and imposes "disproportionately harsh penalties for press activities protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." The letter seeks to strike Section 10305 from the bill.
As always, it's important that legislators hear from THEIR constituents.
If you wish to lend your voice to this effort, please call or fax your Senators and let them know that you support the principles of transparency and disclosure expressed in the OpenTheGovernment.org letter, and urge them to oppose any version of the bill which includes
the non-disclosure provisions. Senate phone numbers are available on
the Senate website, and fax numbers are available from the sites of individual members:
http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm . A complete reiteration of all the points made in the letter isn't necessary - what's most important is that they hear from you, their constituents, that you want the non-disclosure language of Section 10305 removed. Senate floor action could come at any time this week, so please act quickly.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Librarians Say Surveillance Bills Lack Adequate Oversight
By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 2, 2007
A little-remarked feature of pending legislation on domestic surveillance has provoked alarm among university and public librarians who say it could allow federal intelligence-gathering on library patrons without sufficient court oversight.
Draft House and Senate bills would allow the government to compel any "communications service provider" to provide access to e-mails and other electronic information within the United States as part of federal surveillance of non-U.S. citizens outside the country.
The Justice Department has previously said that "providers" may include libraries, causing three major university and library groups to worry that the government's ability to monitor people targeted for surveillance without a warrant would chill students' and faculty members' online research activities.
"It is fundamental that when a user enters the library, physically or electronically," said Jim Neal, the head librarian at Columbia University, "their use of the collections, print or electronic, their communications on library servers and computers, is not going to be subjected to surveillance unless the courts have authorized it."
Under the legislation, the government could monitor a non-U.S. citizen overseas participating in an online research project through a U.S.
university library, and gain access to the communications of all the project participants with that surveillance target, said Al Gidari, a lawyer with the Perkins Coie firm who represents the Association of
Research Libraries and the American Library Association.
The bills, which would replace a temporary law amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, would not require the government to demonstrate "probable cause" that the foreign person targeted is a terrorist or a spy or to let the FISA court, which grants surveillance warrants, know that the tap will be on a library. Under the Senate bill, a general surveillance program may be authorized yearly by the attorney general and the director of national intelligence. The House's version would require the FISA court to authorize surveillance directed at people overseas.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102233.html>
By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 2, 2007
A little-remarked feature of pending legislation on domestic surveillance has provoked alarm among university and public librarians who say it could allow federal intelligence-gathering on library patrons without sufficient court oversight.
Draft House and Senate bills would allow the government to compel any "communications service provider" to provide access to e-mails and other electronic information within the United States as part of federal surveillance of non-U.S. citizens outside the country.
The Justice Department has previously said that "providers" may include libraries, causing three major university and library groups to worry that the government's ability to monitor people targeted for surveillance without a warrant would chill students' and faculty members' online research activities.
"It is fundamental that when a user enters the library, physically or electronically," said Jim Neal, the head librarian at Columbia University, "their use of the collections, print or electronic, their communications on library servers and computers, is not going to be subjected to surveillance unless the courts have authorized it."
Under the legislation, the government could monitor a non-U.S. citizen overseas participating in an online research project through a U.S.
university library, and gain access to the communications of all the project participants with that surveillance target, said Al Gidari, a lawyer with the Perkins Coie firm who represents the Association of
Research Libraries and the American Library Association.
The bills, which would replace a temporary law amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, would not require the government to demonstrate "probable cause" that the foreign person targeted is a terrorist or a spy or to let the FISA court, which grants surveillance warrants, know that the tap will be on a library. Under the Senate bill, a general surveillance program may be authorized yearly by the attorney general and the director of national intelligence. The House's version would require the FISA court to authorize surveillance directed at people overseas.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102233.html>
Thursday, November 01, 2007
WASHOE COUNTY AND NEVADA LAND CONSERVANCY BEGIN HAWKEN FIRE BURN AREA REHABILITATION WORK
Reno, Nevada. October 31, 2007. Nevada Land Conservancy and Washoe County announced today the beginning of rehabilitation and restoration efforts for the Hawken Fire burn area, with the construction of sediment basins and the application of hydro mulch seed over 40 acres.
In late July, the Hawken Fire devastated 2,700 acres in southwest Reno, 72% on federal land and 28% on private land. In the aftermath, the burn area threatens the quality of the community’s drinking water, the safety of nearby homes from future fires, recreational access, and hundreds of acres of crucial winter habitat for mule deer along the Carson range of the Sierra. With the input of federal, state and county agencies, a plan has been created to rehabilitate soils and restore critical habitat in the burn area. This plan includes treatments to stabilize soils, clear stream channels, construct sediment basins, remove hazardous trees, replant 300 Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine trees, erect fences and signage, and reseed more than 500 acres.
The Hawken Fire recovery efforts on private land were initiated by local resident Jeannie Cassinelli, who leads the Hawken Fire Recovery Team consisting of roughly 75 individuals actively supporting the recovery process. Through their efforts, local non-profit Nevada Land Conservancy was brought on board to lead fundraising efforts, recruit volunteers, and provide project oversight. The Team has raised $470,118 for the total project (restoration on both public and private lands). Of the total amount of $470,118, $364,518 comes from the community as grants and donations from the groups listed below, and the remaining $105,600 is federal money.
Washoe County leads the design and implementation of the immediate treatments needed to prevent erosion and reseed habitat through the efforts of several departments, including Parks and Open Space, Public Works, and Fire Services. The U.S. Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe District is coordinating the treatments on federal land. Other project partners in this effort include the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners’ Association, City of Reno, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nevada Fire Safe Council, and several funding partners.
Time is of the essence – many of the treatments need to be in place before winter precipitation, so work is now beginning with the construction of sediment basins and the hydro mulching of 40 acres behind homes. Tree removal will begin in November, aerial seeding later this winter, and hand planting of 300 trees in early spring.
"It is so crucial that we provide erosion control measures now," states Sonya Hem, Deputy Director of Nevada Land Conservancy. "We would hate to see part of the mountain slide into the Truckee River through Alum Creek. And that could impact the water quality for the entire Truckee Meadows."
In addition to water quality, the burn area is located directly in the middle of the winter range of the Truckee-Loyalton Mule Deer herd. Already stressed by previous fires on Peavine Mountain, the herd is receiving support from Nevada Bighorns Unlimited in the form of a $20,000 contribution towards the forage reseeding efforts. Aerial seeding of 500 acres in the upper elevations with sagebrush, bitterbrush and other forage species will occur this winter.
The threat of invasive grass species colonizing the burn area is also a serious threat, according to Kurt Latipow, Washoe County Fire Services Coordinator. "We have a one-year window of opportunity to combat the extremely invasive cheat grass that will grow in the burn area if we do not come in aggressively now," states Latipow. "Cheat grass is extremely flammable and it increases the intensity and spread of fires, which results in an increased threat to lives and property."
Hawken Fire Restoration Effort Donors
Truckee River Fund
Nevada Bighorns Unlimited
City of Reno Ward One Neighborhood Advisory Board
City of Reno Ward Five Northwest Neighborhood Advisory Board
The Phil and Jennifer Satre Family Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
The Ranson and Norma Webster Foundation at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
Sierra Pacific Resources Foundation
Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation
Gaston & Wilkerson Management Group
Scenic Nevada
Lahontan Audubon Society
...and many donations from generous individuals!
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Reno, Nevada. October 31, 2007. Nevada Land Conservancy and Washoe County announced today the beginning of rehabilitation and restoration efforts for the Hawken Fire burn area, with the construction of sediment basins and the application of hydro mulch seed over 40 acres.
In late July, the Hawken Fire devastated 2,700 acres in southwest Reno, 72% on federal land and 28% on private land. In the aftermath, the burn area threatens the quality of the community’s drinking water, the safety of nearby homes from future fires, recreational access, and hundreds of acres of crucial winter habitat for mule deer along the Carson range of the Sierra. With the input of federal, state and county agencies, a plan has been created to rehabilitate soils and restore critical habitat in the burn area. This plan includes treatments to stabilize soils, clear stream channels, construct sediment basins, remove hazardous trees, replant 300 Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine trees, erect fences and signage, and reseed more than 500 acres.
The Hawken Fire recovery efforts on private land were initiated by local resident Jeannie Cassinelli, who leads the Hawken Fire Recovery Team consisting of roughly 75 individuals actively supporting the recovery process. Through their efforts, local non-profit Nevada Land Conservancy was brought on board to lead fundraising efforts, recruit volunteers, and provide project oversight. The Team has raised $470,118 for the total project (restoration on both public and private lands). Of the total amount of $470,118, $364,518 comes from the community as grants and donations from the groups listed below, and the remaining $105,600 is federal money.
Washoe County leads the design and implementation of the immediate treatments needed to prevent erosion and reseed habitat through the efforts of several departments, including Parks and Open Space, Public Works, and Fire Services. The U.S. Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe District is coordinating the treatments on federal land. Other project partners in this effort include the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners’ Association, City of Reno, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nevada Fire Safe Council, and several funding partners.
Time is of the essence – many of the treatments need to be in place before winter precipitation, so work is now beginning with the construction of sediment basins and the hydro mulching of 40 acres behind homes. Tree removal will begin in November, aerial seeding later this winter, and hand planting of 300 trees in early spring.
"It is so crucial that we provide erosion control measures now," states Sonya Hem, Deputy Director of Nevada Land Conservancy. "We would hate to see part of the mountain slide into the Truckee River through Alum Creek. And that could impact the water quality for the entire Truckee Meadows."
In addition to water quality, the burn area is located directly in the middle of the winter range of the Truckee-Loyalton Mule Deer herd. Already stressed by previous fires on Peavine Mountain, the herd is receiving support from Nevada Bighorns Unlimited in the form of a $20,000 contribution towards the forage reseeding efforts. Aerial seeding of 500 acres in the upper elevations with sagebrush, bitterbrush and other forage species will occur this winter.
The threat of invasive grass species colonizing the burn area is also a serious threat, according to Kurt Latipow, Washoe County Fire Services Coordinator. "We have a one-year window of opportunity to combat the extremely invasive cheat grass that will grow in the burn area if we do not come in aggressively now," states Latipow. "Cheat grass is extremely flammable and it increases the intensity and spread of fires, which results in an increased threat to lives and property."
Hawken Fire Restoration Effort Donors
Truckee River Fund
Nevada Bighorns Unlimited
City of Reno Ward One Neighborhood Advisory Board
City of Reno Ward Five Northwest Neighborhood Advisory Board
The Phil and Jennifer Satre Family Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
The Ranson and Norma Webster Foundation at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
Sierra Pacific Resources Foundation
Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation
Gaston & Wilkerson Management Group
Scenic Nevada
Lahontan Audubon Society
...and many donations from generous individuals!
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