November 30, 2005
eEurope Awards for eGovernment - 2005
Winners, Nominees, Honourable Mentions 2005 (9 pages, PDF)
"KSI ZUS, EID, Kadaster-on-line and ROS are the successful four, representing the most outstanding projects benefiting European citizens and businesses."
America's Most Literate Cities, 2005
America's Most Literate Cities, 2005: Seattle, WA ranked as the number one city for Internet literacy, defined in terms of "Internet resources available to the population." These resources include library Internet connections, commercial and public WiFi access, Internet book orders, and reading newspapers on the Internet.
Cunningham's Use of Classified Gov Docs Will Be Scrutinized
According to Roll Call (subscription req'd): "House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), are calling for a bipartisan Congressional investigation into former Rep. Duke Cunningham's (R-Calif.) handling of classified information while serving on the Appropriations and Intelligence committees." Mr. Cunningham is still under investigation following his guilty plea for having accepted in excess of $2.4 in bribes.
For more details, see this LA Times article (reg. req'd), House Intelligence Panel to Probe Cunningham
House Committee on Inteligence
Hurricanes Katrina & Rita Web Archive
"Internet Archive and many individual contributors created a comprehensive list of websites documenting the historic devastation and massive relief effort due to Hurricane Katrina. The sites were crawled between the dates of September 4 - October 17th. This collection, containing more than 25 million searchable documents, will be preserved by Internet Archive with access to historians, researchers, scholars and the general public."
SEC Votes to Propose Rule to Provide Investors with Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
Press release, November 29, 2005: "The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted to propose for public comment rules that would allow companies and other persons to use the Internet to satisfy proxy material delivery requirements...The company would post its proxy materials on an Internet Web site (other than EDGAR) and would send a 'Notice of Electronic Proxy Materials' (the Notice) at least 30 days before the date of meeting."
Microsoft Offers Free PC Security Beta Application
Windows OneCare Team Blog: "WOC is devoted to helping users' get their machines in a secure and healthy state."
Windows OneCare™ Live beta
Release of Additional Records Pertaining to Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
Following up with a link to resources referenced in my posting yesterday, Additional Gov Docs. Released From Alito's DOJ Tenure, see today's press release: "The National Archives at College Park will release 31 documents totaling 336 pages from Record Group 60, Records of the Department of Justice, Files of Charles Cooper and Files of the Attorney General, Edwin Meese III. These records, consisting of memoranda and other documents, were located in various folders in the files of Mr. Cooper and Mr. Meese during the processing of FOIA requests by the National Archives."
The Alito documents are available on the National Archives web site
Related news and documents:
Washington Post: Memo - Alito Urged Government to Challenge Roe v. Wade
New York Times: Reagan-Era Files Show Alito Role on Abortion Law
Questionnaire of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, Nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States (64 pages, PDF)
Online Research Tools White Paper
Online Research Tools White Paper Link Compilation, by Marcus P. Zillman, updated December 1, 2005.
November 29, 2005
Researchers Report on Flaw in Wiretapping Security
Signaling Vulnerabilities in Wiretapping Systems, Micah Sherr, Eric Cronin, Sandy Clark and Matt Blaze, University of Pennsylvania, November/December 2005 issue of IEEE Security and Privacy (21 pages, PDF).
Overview
New York Times, Security Flaw Allows Wiretaps to Be Evaded, Study Finds
Federal Criminal Proceedings Against Mining Companies
The Memory Hole posts database of Federal Criminal Proceedings Against Mining Companies, 1979-2005, 148 pages, PDF.
Trademark and Copyright Lawsuit Focuses on Google Search Rank
From The Nutritional and Dietary Supplement Law Blog: "In a complaint filed last week in federal court in California, Salu, Inc., the owner of the popular cosmeceutical site SkinStore.com has sued the owners of competitor NewSkinSpa.com for trademark and copyright infringement accusing them of copying the SkinStore.com html code and using it to create the site at NewSkinSpa.com. In so doing, SkinStore.com claims that NewSkinSpa.com has been able to obtain a higher Google ranking for search terms like 'Hylexin,' a popular cosmeceutical product for under-eye dark circles."
GAO Report Critical of Efforts to Thwart Global Terror Financing
Terrorist Financing: Better Strategic Planning Needed to Coordinate U.S. Efforts to Deliver Counter-Terrorism Financing Training and Technical Assistance Abroad, GAO-06-19, October 24, 2005. Highlights.
"The U.S. government lacks an integrated strategy to coordinate the delivery of counter-terrorism financing training and technical assistance to countries vulnerable to terrorist financing. Specifically, the effort does not have key stakeholder acceptance of roles and procedures, a strategic alignment of resources with needs, or a process to measure performance."
Several Dozen Corporations Embrace Blogging To Expand Customer Relationships
The Blogosphere Beckons: Should Your Company Jump In? Harvard Management Communication Letter, Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2005.
Archives of The Economic Report of the President Now Available Online
From the Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research, The Economic Report of the President, 1960-1980 archives, now available in PDF.
"The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after the submission of the Budget of the United States Government. Information provided includes current and foreseeable trends and numerical goals concerning topics such as employment, production, real income and Federal budget outlays, employment objectives for significant groups of the labor force, annual numeric goals, and a program for carrying out program objectives. The report has been published annually since 1950."
November 28, 2005
New FTC Study Shows Progress in Combating Spam
FTC press release: "According to a new study released today by the Federal Trade Commission, spammers continue to harvest email addresses from public areas of the Internet, but Internet Service Providers' anti-spam technologies can block the vast majority of spam sent to these email addresses. The FTC staff report also found that consumers who must post their e-mail addresses on the Internet can prevent them from being harvested by using a technique known as masking."
Email Address Harvesting and the Effectiveness of Anti-Spam Filters (10 pages, PDF)
Related resource: Email Masking Techniques
CRS Report Challenges Methods of Measuring Success in Fight Against Terrorism
Combating Terrorism: The Challenge of Measuring Effectiveness, November 23, 2005 (via FAS, 15 pages, PDF).
LC Announces Landmark For Digital Image Collection
"The Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division is celebrating a new landmark: one million images from its collections are now available in digital form online. Digital images from the Prints & Photographs Division are available through the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)." Laura Gottesman, Reference Librarian, Digital Reference Team, The Library of Congress.
Pew Study Tracks Steep Rise in Consumer Use of Online Classifieds
Press release: "17% of internet users – about 25 million people -- have sold something online...Data from comScore Media Metrix show that the number of Americans using online classifieds has shot up 80% in the past year, led by the rapid growth of the sites organized by Craigslist.org."
About 25 million people have used the internet to sell something (5 pages, PDF)
Agencies Use FOIA Exemptions in Response to Increasing Number of Requests
"A new study by the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government...shows the use of FOIA exemptions to withhold information increased 22 percent between 2000 and 2004, despite the fact that federal agencies responded to 13 percent fewer requests for information. The exemptions most frequently used to say "no" to requesters were those recommended by Attorney General John Ashcroft in his 2001 memorandum and by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card in a directive six months later." [Link]
When Exemptions Become the Rule, Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, November 22, 2005 (19 pages, PDF)
November 27, 2005
Second TIME Magazine Reporter Called to Testify Before Plame Leak Grand Jury
AP reports today that TIME magazine Washington correspondent Viveca Novak has been called to testify before the grand jury investigating the leak of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative.
New Portal to Clinical Trial Registries Offers Search and Results Data
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) press release: "The new internet search portal establishes links to IFPMA member company websites as well as other commercial and government-sponsored websites containing information on clinical trials provided by pharmaceutical companies."
See also Website on Clinical Trials Data in the Spotlight
Via Charitable Org., Google Targets Power of Search for Genetic Data
UK Times: Google turns its search power to the hunt for genetic drugs: "David Vise's book reveals how it is sifting information to help scientists advance medicine...Google's data-mining techniques appear well suited to the formidable challenges posed by analysing the genetic sequence."
The Google Story, by David Vise
Welcome to Google.org – the philanthropic arm of Google
New York Times Notable Books of the Year
New York Times, 100 Notable Books of the Year
November 26, 2005
Proposed Export Controls Regs Impact Foreign Research Scholars in U.S.
Universities Say New Rules Could Hurt U.S. Research
Related resources:
March 28, 2005 Federal Register, Department of Commerce advance notice of proposed rulemaking, Revision and Clarification of Deemed Export Related Regulatory Requirements.
DOD IG Report: Export Controlled Technology at Contractor, University, and Federall-Funded Research and Development Center Facilities, March 25, 2004 (40 pages, PDF)Dept. of Commerce IG Report: Deemed Export Controls May Not Stop the Transfer of Sensitive Technology to Foreign Nationals in the U.S. (64 pages,
PDF)
Dept. of Energy IG Report: Contractor Compliance With Deemed Export Controls (21 pages, PDF)
Interagency IG Report (41 pages, PDF)
"Deemed Export" Questions and Answers, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security website
Summary of University Concerns with Commerce IG Report
November 25, 2005
Growing Number in Congress, Public At Odds With Administration Revision of Iraq War Intel
White House press release, November 15, 2005, Setting the Record Straight: The New York Times Editorial on Pre-War Intelligence.
WSJ free feature: Majority Believe White House Misleads Public, Poll Shows
New York Times: Even Supporters Doubt President as Issues Pile Up
Levin and Reed Compare Bush Administration Statements with Intelligence Community Statements on Pre-War Iraq Intelligence
Washington Post: The About-Face of a Hawkish Democrat - Murtha, With Many Military Connections, Moves From Voting for War to Urging Troop Withdrawal
Seattle Times: Defense hawk Dicks says he now sees war as a mistake
Washington Post: What I Knew Before the Invasion, by Bob Graham: "Yes, more than 100 Democrats voted to authorize him to take the nation to war. Most of them, though, like their Republican colleagues, did so in the legitimate belief that the president and his administration were truthful in their statements that Saddam Hussein was a gathering menace -- that if Hussein was not disarmed, the smoking gun would become a mushroom cloud."
Exit plans dominate war debate: "A recent USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll found that more than half of respondents want U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq within the next 12 months."
Newsweek: Bush at the Tipping Point - A hawkish Democrat calls for an Iraq withdrawal, setting off a bitter fight in Washington over how, and when, the troops should come home.
Foreign Policy: It's Not About the Yellowcake, by Jofi Joseph (Jofi Joseph is a former staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he advised members on arms control and nonproliferation.) "The Bush administration’s most critical deception leading up to the war in Iraq had nothing to do with Valerie Plame or yellowcake from Niger."
Internet Played Key Role in Katrina Relief Effort and As News Source
Press release: "In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, 13 million Americans made donations to relief efforts online and 7 million set up their own hurricane relief efforts using the internet. In addition to using the internet to respond directly to the crisis, 50% of online users sought out news and information online, with most (73%) of their newsgathering happening at Web sites of the mainstream media. Sources such as blogs and international news sites served as important news supplements, with one quarter of those who got Katrina news online turning to one of these sources."
Relief donations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the use of the internet to get disaster news (6 pages, PDF)
WSJ free feature: An overwhelming majority of Americans say they have contributed to charities in the last year, a Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive personal-finance poll shows, with nearly half of them contributing to disaster relief.
Data Privacy Bill Reported to Full Senate
The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act of 2005 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and moves forward to Senate hearings.
Reported in Senate, S. 1789
November 24, 2005
Advocacy Groups Petition FCC For Stay On Web Wiretapping Compliance
Press release: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Center for Democracy and Technology, and representatives of industry, academia, librarians and others today filed a joint request for a stay with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), arguing that the Commission has been "unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious" in demanding that broadband Internet access providers and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers include backdoors for wiretaps in their services. The stay requested that the Commission should either postpone its Spring 2007 "full compliance" deadline for implementing these taps, or halt the requirement entirely."
Copy of the Stay Request
Related beSpacific postings on CALEA
FOI Requests Made By Media Outpaced By Non Partisan Research Archive
According to a log [Word document: Listing of media requests] detailing FOI requests made by media organizations to the Pentagon for the period covering 2000 through February 2005, the National Security Archive, an independent non-governmental research institute, far outpaced the number of requests made by news agencies, including AP, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Blogger Michael Petrelis filed the FOI request to obtain the data from the Pentagon. This news was posted by Raw Story.
Related references:
The 2005 World Press Freedom Index (October 20, 2005) which ranks the United States in 44th place.
The Memory Hole, FOIA Case Logs: "Every federal agency, department, and office that responds to Freedom of Information Act requests keeps logs of the requests it receives. This page will post the FOIA case logs from as many of these federal units as possible, as received by The Memory Hole and others. Keep checking back, as it will be continuously updated."
November 23, 2005
DHS Lists FEMA Response to Katrina As a Success Story
"DHS Today will highlight FY05 Accomplishments in this column over the next several weeks. This week’s focus is on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The top FY05 FEMA accomplishments included:
Hurricane Katrina: The response to Hurricane Katrina was FEMA’s largest response in its history. The aid given within six weeks of landfall included almost $3.8 billion for more than 1.24 million households. More than half a million people visited 100 Disaster Recovery Centers that had been quickly created across the Gulf Coast. Working through the American Red Cross, FEMA supported the nation’s largest-ever sheltering operation, with more than 273,000 evacuees at the peak. In addition, again working with the Red Cross, FEMA paid to house more than 600,000 people in emergency hotel housing. Almost 70,000 temporary roofs had been put on damaged homes through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, more than 16,000 manufactured homes or travel trailers had been placed on site, and 20 million cubic yards of debris had been picked up."
EU Advocate General Recommends Annulling Agreement to Share Passenger Name Records
Nº 98/2005: 22 November 2005, Opinion of the Advocate General in cases C-317/04, C-318/04, Parliament/Council, Principles of Community law - press release - Advocate General Léger Proposed Annulment of the Commission and Council Decisions on Transfer to the American Authorities of Personal Information Concerning Air Passengers.
Full-text opinion (in French)
May 31, 2004, Passenger Data Collection Pact Signed Between EU and US
Google Goes Way Beyond Search
Who's Afraid of Google? Everyone, by Kevin Kelleher. "It seems no one is safe: Google is doing Wi-Fi; Google is searching inside books; Google has a plan for ecommerce."
postings on Google Print/Book Search
Google Wants to Provide Free WiFi to SF
Google Plans Online-Payment Service
November 22, 2005
GSA Website Redesigned
Press release: The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) [November 2, 2005] launched a redesign of its external agency Web site. The refreshed site will make it easier for federal customer agencies, businesses, and citizens to get the information they need on GSA’s products and services.
Improvement include:
"A newly redesigned homepage that will make it easier for specific visitor groups to find the information they need to do their jobs. This includes individualized categories for federal agencies, citizens and vendors that wish to do business with GSA.
An enhanced search presentation that improves the organization of results information."
"A more user-friendly layout of information using an improved tab system to better identify topical information."
"An enhanced presentation of current GSA initiatives and events."
DOJ IG Report on Agency's Top Management and Performance Challenges
November 18, DOJ/OIG Top Management and Performance Challenges in the Department of Justice - 2005: Counterterrorism; Sharing of Law Enforcement and Intelligence Information; Department and FBI Intelligence-Related Reorganizations; Information Technology Systems Planning and Implementation; Information Technology Security; Financial Management and Systems; Grant Management; Detention and Incarceration; Judicial Security; and Supply and Demand for Drugs.
Report on Gov 't Docs That Verify Facts on Pre-War Intel
Key Bush Intelligence Briefing Kept From Hill Panel, by Murray Waas, special to National Journal.
"Ten days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President Bush was told in a highly classified briefing that the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence linking the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to the attacks and that there was scant credible evidence that Iraq had any significant collaborative ties with Al Qaeda, according to government records and current and former officials with firsthand knowledge of the matter."
Online Newspaper Readership Continues to Rise
Nielson/NetRatings press release: Online newspapers enjoy double-digit year growth, reaching one out of four internet users
"NYTimes.com was the top U.S. online newspaper site, with 11.4 million unique visitors in October 2005. USAToday.com and WashingtonPost.com took the No. 2 and 3 spots.."
Library of Congress Launches World Digital Library Initiative
Library of Congress press release: "Google Is First Private-Sector Partner with Funding of $3 Million. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin announced today that Google is the first private-sector company to contribute to the Library's initiative to develop a plan to begin building a World Digital Library (WDL) for use by other libraries around the globe. The effort would be supported by funds from nonexclusive, public and private partnerships, of which Google is the first. The concept for the WDL came from a speech that Billington delivered to the newly established U.S. National Commission for UNESCO on June 6, 2005, at Georgetown University."
Related news and links:
Washington Post op-ed, A Library for The New World, by James H. Billington: "Libraries are inherently islands of freedom and antidotes to fanaticism. They are temples of pluralism where books that contradict one another stand peacefully side by side just as intellectual antagonists work peacefully next to each other in reading rooms. It is legitimate and in our nation's interest that the new technology be used internationally, both by the private sector to promote economic enterprise and by the public sector to promote democratic institutions."
The Library of Congress American Memory historical collections
A Man's Vision: World Library Online - Brewster Kahle hopes to realize his 25-year dream of an international book archive
November 21, 2005
Democratic Policy Committee Issues Reports on Pre and Post Iraq War Intel
From the Democratic Policy Committee:
Bush Administration's Iraq Claims at Odds with Pre-War Intelligence, Post-War Evidence, November 18, 2005 (13 pages, PDF) - "This document compares each of the Bush Administration's major claims to both the intelligence available before the war began and the post-war findings of the Iraq Survey Group and others."
Myth vs. Reality: Debunking the Administration's Spin About Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq, November 18, 2005
E-Gov Science Portal Introduces Enhanced Search and Relevancy Features
Press release: Science.gov 3.0 Launched - "...introduces 'MetaRank' which uses a sophisticated method for ranking science queries by searching 'metadata,' or bibliographic information such as title, author, date, abstract or other keyword identifiers...Science.gov 3.0 also offers enhanced Boolean search capability, improved fielded searching, intuitive site navigation and early viewing of results while the database and Web site searches continue in real time...A single query searches across 30 databases and 1,800 Web sites."
GAO Report Says E-Gov Deficiencies Hinder No Child Left Behind Program
No Child Left Behind Act: Improved Accessibility to Education's Information Could Help States Further Implement Teacher Qualification Requirements GAO-06-25, November 21, 2005.
"Education officials said that their Web site has been an important tool for disseminating resources about the requirements, but officials from most states and districts that we visited told us that they were unaware of some of these resources or had difficulty locating them, despite frequently using the Web site."
A Look Inside the Google Book Search Program at Harvard University
This profile of Sidney Verba, Harvard University Library Director, professor of government, and author of numerous books and articles, addresses key aspects related to the university's participation in the Google Book Search project.
Related references:
Books Online: The Fee versus Free Battle Begins,
by Barbara Quint
Amazon Announces Plan to Sell Portions of Books Online
New York Times, The Story of the Search, Applause Included
The Google Story, by David Vise, Mark Malseed
Debate Between Publishers, Authors and Google Over Book Search Program
Relocation of Nixon Archives to California Scheduled For 2006
The documents of American Presidents, beginning with Herbert Hoover, with the exception of Richard Nixon, have been administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, through the Presidential library system. Today AP reported that Congress has approved $4 million to fund the transfer of the Nixon archives from Maryland to California, and thereby from a private to a public facility.
FEC Will Not Regulate Bloggers, For Now
Draft Advisory Opinion 2005-16, Fired Up! LLC, by counsel, Marc E. Elias and Brian G. Svoboda, Agenda Document No. 05-55. Circulated November 14, 2005 for Open Meeting on November 17, 2005, at which time it was unanimously adopted.
"Fired Up qualifies as a press entity. Its websites are both available to the general public and are the online equivalent of a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication as described in the Act and Commission regulations....because Fired Up is a press entity, and neither it nor its websites are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate, the costs Fired Up incurs in carrying or covering a news story, commentary or editorial on its website are exempt from the definitions of "contribution" and expenditure."
Related documents:
Request for Advisory Opinion by Fired Up, August 22, 2005
Comment from Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and the Center for Responsive Politics, November 16, 2005
Comment from Adam Bonin on behalf of Duncan Black, Markos Moulitsas Zuniga and Matt Stoller, November 16, 2005
Texas AG Brings Enforcement Action For Spyware Violations
Press release: "Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today sued Sony BMG Music Entertainment as the first state in the nation to bring legal action against SONY for illegal 'spyware.' The suit is also the first filed under the state's spyware law of 2005. It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs (CDs) that consumers inserted into their computers when they play the CDs, which can compromise the systems."
Related documents and resources:
Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005
Online Complaint Form/Texas
From Sony, Top Questions and Answers about XCP Content Protection Technology
From Sony, List of 52 CD's Containing XCP Content Protection Technology
From EFF, SonyBMG Litigation and Rootkit Info
Push to Digitize Personal Health Records Moves Forward in Senate
S. 1418: Wired for Health Care Quality Act, A bill to enhance the adoption of a nationwide inter operable health information technology system and to improve the quality and reduce the costs of health care in the United States. Passed Senate by voice vote, November 18, 2005.
Related documents:
S. 1355
Senate Report 109-111
EPIC and Patient Privacy Rights Launch Campaign to Protect Medical Records
Pew Data Shows Surge In Search Engine Use
Press release: "Search engine use shoots up in the past year and edges towards email as the primary internet application...from September 2004 to September 2005 the average daily use of search engines jumped from 49.3 million users to 60.7 million users – an increase of 23%.
This means that the use of search engines is edging up on email as a primary internet activity on any given day. The Pew Internet Project data show that on a typical day, email use is still the top internet activity. On any given day, about 52% of American internet users are sending and receiving email."
Search Engine Use, November 2005 (9 pages, PDF)
November 20, 2005
Talk of Filibuster Resurfaces in Response to Alito's Views on Reapportionment
Biden: Chance of Alito Filibuster Higher
Related resources on Alito
Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962
Union for Reform Judaism, Resolution Opposing the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr: "Based on Judge Alito's extensive public record before us as outlined in the background of this Resolution, the Commission on Social Action is recommending that the Biennial oppose Judge Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. It does so concerned that on issues of core value to our Movement his assertively conservative approach to the law will shift the narrowly divided Supreme Court, and restrict constitutional and statutory protections regarding privacy, reproductive choice, women's rights, civil rights, and the separation of church and state."
German Intelligence Officials Weigh-In on WMD Documents
LA Times: "The German intelligence officials responsible for one of the most important informants on Saddam Hussein's suspected weapons of mass destruction say that the Bush administration and the CIA repeatedly exaggerated his claims during the run-up to the war in Iraq."
Related reference:
Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, March 31, 2005
Murtha Elaborates on His Iraq War Position
Transcript for November 20, Meet the Press: John Murtha, Anthony Fauci, Julie Gerberding, Michael Leavitt and Michael Ryan.
Rep. John Murtha: "Well, I tell you, Cheney's a friend of mine. We work very closely together. He was a good secretary of Defense, but he's wrong. They should have fired people. The president should be furious with this--the people that work for him giving him bad intelligence. We spend more on intelligence than any country in the world. We spend more on intelligence than the whole world spends together and our intelligence was wrong. There's no question we're going in the wrong direction and we're not winning. The incidents have increased and the economic indicators--oil, which was supposed to pay for all of this, is below prewar levels. There's nothing that's happening that shows any sign of success...
Debate Between Publishers, Authors and Google Over Book Search Program
New York Times: Googling Literature: The Debate Goes Public
Related references:
Google, Authors, Publishers, and Library Officials in Discussion at The New York Public Library: Panel with Library President Paul LeClerc, Google VP David Drummond, legal scholar Lawrence Lessig, Wired editor Chris Anderson, and others on Thursday, November 17.
Postings on Google Print and Google Book Search
November 18, 2005
Opposition to Patriot Act Reauthorization Stalls Vote
Yesterday: Patriot Act Reauthorization Encounters Strong Opposition; today news on a deadlock which will delay a vote until December. Preventing passage of any meaningful reforms to this legislation may indeed prove to be a bigger obstacle than anticipated. The work of organizations including the American Library Association, EFF, EPIC, CDT and the ACLU is in no small measure responsible for heightened public awareness about, and concern for, a discernable narrowing of civil liberties post 9/11.
Related reference:
From EPIC, "A federal judge has ordered (5 pages, PDF) the FBI to publicly release or account for thousands of pages of information about the government's use of PATRIOT Act powers."
Murtha's Speech on the War in Iraq and Tumultous Response
Rep. John P. Murtha's statement of November 17, 2005: War in Iraq
"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We can not continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interest of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region."
"Murtha's resolution would force the president to withdrawal the nearly 160,000 troops in Iraq "at the earliest predictable date (emphasis added)." [CNN]
House GOP seeks quick veto of Iraq pullout
Republican sponsored Resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States troops in Iraq be terminated immediately (emphasis added).
Watch the vote on C-SPAN
Pentagon plans for troop drawdown in Iraq - Proposal circulated on Capitol Hill depends on new Iraqi government
Related documents and news:
Friday, November 18, 2005 -- "On the House floor, Rep. Waxman speaks against the Republican resolution and calls for answers to long-standing questions about the Administration's use of forged evidence as the cornerstone of the case for war in Iraq. These concerns were raised by Rep. Waxman before the war started in a letter to President Bush on March 17, 2003."
Video of Rep. Waxman's Floor Statement
Rep. Waxman's March 17, 2003 Letter to the President about Iraq Intelligence
Text of Rep. Waxman's Statement
WSJ free content, Bush's Iraq Woes Mount - White House Seeks to Stem Rising Antiwar Sentiment
The House late Friday overwhelmingly rejected calls for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a vote engineered by the Republicans that was intended to fail.
Defense official: Rumsfeld given Iraq withdrawal plan
Fitzgerald Files for a New Grand Jury
The investigation into the Plame leak will, despite the prognostications of a range of commentators, in fact move forward and expand, according to today's news that Special Counsel Fitzgerald has requested a new grand jury. According to the court filing, "...The investigation will involve proceedings before a different grand jury than the grand jury which returned the indictment"...against Mr. Libby. In addition to the information, the filing also references a change in Mr. Fitzgerald's decision to keep documents related to the case from public access.
Important related reference from July 21, 2005, Washington Post: Plame's Identity Marked As Secret - Memo Central to Probe Of Leak Was Written By State Dept. Analyst
See also:
New York Times, Not Since Deep Throat Has a Woodward Source Held So Many
Washington Post, Another Grand Jury for Leak Case - Move Follows Woodward Talks
Washington Post, Post Executive Editor Discusses Woodward - Reporter's Silence in CIA Leak Case Scrutinized
LA Times, Woodward joins a decadent dance - Whatever impact the scandal surrounding the leak of former CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity ultimately has on the Bush administration, it continues to spread through the Washington press corps like a toxic plume.
November 17, 2005
Redesigned THOMAS Launched Today
Sharing navigation and design similarities with the Library of Congress site as well as the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration site, today's launch of the upgraded THOMAS Congressional information site offers citizens, educators and researchers additional browse and search features (including the ability to Search Multiple Congresses, from the 101 to the 109; links to full text treaties; and a Presidential nominations search feature with links to Senate hearings). This year was the twentieth anniversary of the site, which has undergone a series of changes, updates and redesigns.
Related news: IRS.gov has also launched a redesigned site, with many of the same navigation and design elements used in the sites mentioned above.
Patriot Act Reauthorization Encounters Strong Opposition
Following up on reports of civil liberties protections having been stripped from the draft Patriot Act reauthorization and information that the bill contains "poison pill measures," news today that a bipartisan group of Senators (including Feingold and Sununu) is attempting to block passage of bill by the full Senate. Their statement is here.
Union Launches Job Tracker Database on Outsourcing and Labor Violations
Job Tracker: "Find out which companies in your area are exporting jobs, endangering workers' health or involved in cases of violations of workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The database contains information on more than 60,000 companies nationwide." Users may search by zip code, state, company name or by industry.
Google Print Morphs Into Google Book Search
From the Official Google Blog, "When we launched Google Print, our goal was to make it easier for users to discover books. Now that we're starting to achieve that, we think a more descriptive name will help clarify what our users can do with it: namely, search the full text of books to find ones that interest them and learn where to buy or borrow them...We want to make all the world's books discoverable and searchable online, and we hope this new name will help keep everyone focused on that important goal."
November 16, 2005
Waxman Continues to Pursue Open Congressional Investigation Into Plame Leak
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - "In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman renews his request for hearings into the outing of CIA agent Valerie Wilson, citing many precedents for congressional oversight occurring concurrently with a criminal investigation."
Rep. Waxman's Previous Letter to Chairman Davis
Chairman Davis's Previous Response
ALA Urges Vote Against Patriot Act Conference Report
From American Library Association Washington Office Newsline: "The House is scheduled to vote on the PATRIOT Act conference report as early as Thursday, November 17. The revised bill does not contain important civil liberties safeguards sought by ALA and other advocates...The revised bill sunsets at seven years (The Senate bill sunset was 4 years and the House bill sunset was 10 years) -- A four year sunset will make it possible to correct an abuse of Section 215 at an earlier date."
From EFF, draft of the final conference report follows (in three parts, all PDF):
Part One, pages 1-97
Part Two, pages 98-153
Part Three, pages 154-220
Patriot Act Becomes An Anti-Civil Liberties Christmas Tree, by Congressman John Conyers
"The revised bill requires that the FBI need only assert facts "relevant" to a general terrorist investigation to get an order from a secret FISA court for records. This is a lower and less protective standard than the Senate version of the bill that required the FBI to demonstrate a connection between the records sought and a terrorist organization or a suspected terrorist."
"The revised bill does not provide a meaningful ability to challenge an NSL or order of the FISA court."
Related news:
LA Times article (reg req'd), by Richard B. Schmitt, on the tentative deal reached by conferees.
AP, via San Francisco Chronicle, Tentative Deal on Patriot Act, Sources Say
New Open Source Legal Dictionary and Encyclopedia Launched by Cornell
"Wex is an ambitious effort to construct a collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. It is sponsored and hosted by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School. Much of the material that appears in Wex was originally developed for the LII's "Law about..." pages, to which Wex is the successor.
Searchable Database of Administration Statements on Iraq
A timely reminder on a useful resource: see Iraq on the Record.
"Prepared at the direction of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Iraq on the Record is a searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements made by Bush Administration officials about the threat posed by Iraq. It contains statements that were misleading based on what was known to the Administration at the time the statements were made. It does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, it was excluded even if it now appears erroneous."
Latest E-Gov't Scorecard Notes Ratings Decline For 8 Agencies
From OMB, the President's Management Agenda current survey results, Scorecard - September 30, 2005 indicate performance in areas evaluated (human capital, competitive sourcing, financial performance, e-government, and budget/performance integration) dropped at agencies including VA, EPA, State, NASA, USAID, Justice and Interior (note: the red circle indicates unsatisfactory, with eight agencies showing a specific decline in e-government services).
U.S. Will Maintain Internet Oversight
News from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that the U.S. and representatives from 100 other nations have reached an agreement to continue the oversight of Internet domain names in the control of the United States, with administration provided by the Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
November 15, 2005
Scope of Libby Trial May Expand to Include Other Journalists and Documents
In an article published on November 16, the New York Times reports that the defense team representing I. Lewis Libby plans to seek to obtain documents from journalists that are well beyond the scope of those used to substantiate the indictment. The article quotes Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, who states, "This is a very unsettling case, and it could take years in the courts to resolve."
See also this recent, related posting, Media Challenges Withholding Publication of Plame Investigation Documents
Online Open Source Patent Library Launched
Press release: "The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux®, today announced the launch of its online patent commons reference library, the foundation of its Patent Commons Project. The Project's goal is to provide greater confidence for developers and customers of all open source software. The site, patentcommons.org, hosts searchable databases containing more than 500 patents pledged to date and more than a dozen technical standards supported by patent pledges and covenants. The library is freely available to developers, users and vendors, where they can quickly view information about patents and technology pledges benefiting open source software and standards."
Groups Seek Gov Docs on Impact of Patriot Act on Academic Freedom
Press release: "The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has joined with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and PEN American Center in a legal action against the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency. In a complaint filed [November 10, 2005 - 19 pages, PDF], the national groups charge that these federal agencies are illegally withholding information on the government's practice of excluding prominent foreign intellectuals based on their political views."
TSA Issues Guidance on Biometrics for Airport Access Control
Guidance Package, Biometrics for Airport Access Control, 30 September 2005, Version Release: October 2005 (140 pages, PDF).
"This guidance document includes basic criteria and standards that TSA believes biometric products should meet in order to meet the technical requirements of acceptable performance for airport access control systems."
Public Broadcasting IG Issues Report on Ethics and Statutory Violations By Ex-Chair
From the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Office of the Inspector General, Review of Alleged Actions Violating the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as Amended (67 pages, PDF), November 15, 2005.
"We found evidence that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) former Chairman [Kenneth Tomlinson] violated statutory provisions and the Director's Code of Ethics by dealing directly with one of the creators of a new public affairs program during negotiations with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the CPB over creating the show. Our review also showed evidence that suggests "political tests" were a major criteria used by the former Chairman in recruiting a President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for CPB, which violated statutory prohibitions against such practices."
See also, this New York Times article, Report Says Ex-Chief of Public TV Violated Federal Law.
Conference on Patriot Act Reauthorization Urged to Adopt Four Year Sunset
From the American Bar Association President, this November 9, 2005 letter (3 pages, PDF) requests that conferees seeking to reach agreement on the House (H.R. 3199) and Senate versions (S. 1389) accept language reforming sections 206, 213 and 215. These sections address limitations to the use of wiretaps, search warrants for homes and businesses, and surveillance orders.
ACLU Calls on Patriot Act Negotiators to Protect Privacy and Freedom, Reject White House Pressure
Rep. Conyers Launches Patriot Act Resource Site
Rep. Conyer's Patriot Act Action Center includes links to Patriot Act resources from government and advocacy sources, a chronology of Congressional action on the legislation (which links to a series of beSpacific postings), recent news articles, and "What the Blogs are Saying."
Sen. Hagel Delivers Speech on U.S. Foreign Policy and the Middle East
U.S. Foreign Policy and the Middle East by Senator Chuck Hagel, November 15, 2005 - Delivered at the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, DC.
"The Iraq war should not be debated in the United States on a partisan political platform. This debases our country, trivializes the seriousness of war and cheapens the service and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. War is not a Republican or Democrat issue. The casualties of war are from both parties. The Bush Administration must understand that each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them. Suggesting that to challenge or criticize policy is undermining and hurting our troops is not democracy nor what this country has stood for, for over 200 years. The Democrats have an obligation to challenge in a serious and responsible manner, offering solutions and alternatives to the Administration's policies. Vietnam was a national tragedy partly because Members of Congress failed their country, remained silent and lacked the courage to challenge the Administrations in power until it was too late. Some of us who went through that nightmare have an obligation to the 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam to not let that happen again. To question your government is not unpatriotic – to not question your government is unpatriotic. America owes its men and women in uniform a policy worthy of their sacrifices."
Democrats Advance Innovative Technology Agenda
Press release: "House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi unveiled the House Democrats new Innovation Agenda: A Commitment to Competitiveness to Keep America #1 (12 pages, PDF) in a speech at the National Press Club this morning.
"First, we recognize that in a globalized, knowledge-based economy, America's greatest resource for innovation and economic growth resides within America's classrooms. To create a new generation of innovators, our agenda calls for a qualified teacher in every math and science K-12 classroom and we issue a 'call to action' to engineers and scientists to join the ranks of America's teachers. We will add 100,000 new scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to America's workforce in the next four years by providing scholarships, other financial assistance, and private sector opportunities to college students to achieve this goal...Second, we recognize that independent scientific research provides the foundation for innovation and future technologies. Our agenda will double federal funding for basic research and development in the physical sciences, and promote the public-private partnerships that will translate new ideas into marketable technologies...Third, we recognize that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs IN the United States. Our agenda guarantees that every American will have affordable access to broadband within five years."
November 14, 2005
IG Report on DHS Emergency Preparedness Database Issues
Security Weaknesses Increase Risks to Critical Emergency Preparedness and Response Database, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, (Redacted, 38 pages, PDF).
Review of Three Popular Blogging Applications
Blog Software Smackdown: The Big 3 Reviewed, by Vinnie Garcia.
New FCC Website on VoIP 911 Services
FCC press release: "The Joint FCC/NARUC Task Force on VoIP 911 Enforcement has launched a new Web site to provide consumers, industry and state and local governments information about the rules that require certain providers of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to supply 911 emergency calling capabilities to their customers."
Related reference: Enforcement Bureau Outlines Requirements of November 28, 2005 - Interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol 911 Compliance Letters
Commentary on National Security Letters, Patriot Act Reauthorization, and Libraries
St. Petersburg Times (Florida), November 13, 2005. State of Secrets, State of Tortue; National security letters put privacy at risk, by Robyn E. Blumner, Perspective columnist.
Hate Crime Statistics, 2004
FBI: "Hate Crime in America Behind the Numbers - A report released today on hate crime statistics shows a slight increase in the number of crimes from 2003 to 2004. The annual report, which details offenses and breaks them down by location, is based on statistics gathered from 12,700 law enforcement agencies."
9/11 Public Discourse Project Issues Third Report
November 14, 2005 - 9/11 Commissioners Issue Third Report on Recommendations - Part III: Foreign Policy, Public Diplomacy, and Nonproliferation (PDF)