"Today, the Department of State released a final rule for the new "Passport Card," which is intended to be used by American citizens who frequently travel by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The new rule calls for the use of "vicinity read" RFID technology without the use of encryption. This means the card will be able to be read remotely, at a long distance. CDT strongly objected to the use of this technology--developed for tracking inventory, not people--because it is inherently insecure and poses threats to personal privacy, including identity theft, location tracking by government and commercial entities outside the border control context, and other forms of mission creep."

"This Web site contains responses collected from the air carrier and general aviation pilot surveys as part of the NASA National Aviation Operational Monitoring Service (NAOMS) project from April 2001 through December 2004. Relevant information is contained in the accompanying documentation. In the interest of timeliness, this first release is by nature conservative to ensure the responses do not contain confidential commercial information or information that could compromise the anonymity of individual pilots. Efforts will be made in 2008 to release additional NAOMS information that was redacted for this release."

The Secret Library of Hope, by Rebecca Solnit, The Nation: "Hope is an orientation, a way of scanning the wall for cracks--or building ladders--rather than staring at its obdurate expanse. It's a world view, but one informed by experience and the knowledge that people have power; that the power people possess matters; that change has been made by populist movements and dedicated individuals in the past; and that it will be again. Dissent in this country has become largely a culture of diagnosis rather than prescription, of describing what is wrong with them, rather than what is possible for us. But even in English, a robust minority tradition can be found. There are a handful of books that I think of as "the secret library of hope." None of them deny the awful things going on, but they approach them as if the future is still open to intervention rather than an inevitability. In describing how the world actually gets changed, they give us the tools to change it again..."

United States Sentencing Commission: "The Commission hereby gives notice of amendments to a policy statement and commentary made pursuant to its authority under 28 U.S.C. § 994(a) and (u). (This notice will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Federal Register.) On December 11, 2007, the Commission promulgated an amendment to policy statement §1B1.10 [Reduction in Term of Imprisonment as a Result of Amended Guideline Range (Policy Statement)] clarifying when, and to what extent, a sentencing reduction is considered consistent with the policy statement and therefore authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2).

On December 11, 2007, the Commission also promulgated an amendment to policy statement §1B1.10 that designates Amendment 706, as amended by Amendment 711, (pertaining to to crack cocaine offenses) for inclusion in subsection (c) as an amendment that may be applied retroactively.

The reader-friendly text of the two amendments to policy statement §1B1.10 in this Federal Register Notice of Final Action is posted on the Commission's website at http://www.ussc.gov/2007guid/030308rf.pdf.

The amendments in this Federal Register Notice of Final Action do not take effect until March 3, 2008. Until that date, the court should apply § 1B1.10 as it exists in the Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2007."

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: "The State of Food and Agriculture 2007 explores the potential for agriculture to provide enhanced levels of environmental services alongside the production of food and fi bre. The report concludes that demand for environmental services from agriculture - including climate change mitigation, improved watershed management and biodiversity preservation - will increase in the future, but better incentives to farmers are needed if agriculture is to meet this demand. As one among several other possible policy tools, payments to farmers for environmental services hold promise as a fl exible approach to enhancing farmer incentives to sustain and improve the ecosystems on which we all depend. Nevertheless, challenges must be overcome if the potential of this approach is to be realized, especially in developing countries. Policy efforts at international and national levels are necessary to establish the basis for such payments. The design of cost-effective programmes requires careful analysis of the specifi c biophysical and socio-economic contexts and consideration of the poverty impacts programmes may have. By clarifying the challenges that need to be addressed in implementing such an approach, this report is intended to contribute to the realization of its potential."

"Each year since 1997, the US-based Electronic Privacy Information Center and the UK-based Privacy International have undertaken what has now become the most comprehensive survey of global privacy ever published. The Privacy & Human Rights Report surveys developments in 70 countries, assessing the state of surveillance and privacy protection. The most recent report published in 2007 is probably the most comprehensive single volume report published in the human rights field. The report runs over 1,100 pages and includes 6,000 footnotes. More than 200 experts from around the world have provided materials and commentary. The participants range from eminent privacy scholars to high-level officials charged with safeguarding constitutional freedoms in their countries. Academics, human rights advocates, journalists and researchers provided reports, insight, documents and advice. In 2006 Privacy International took the decision to use this annual report as the basis for a ranking assessment of the state of privacy in all EU countries together with eleven non-EU benchmark countries."

Pew Internet & American Life Project: Information Searches That Solve Problems, 12/30/2007

"A host of new laws on topics ranging from allowing civil unions in New Hampshire to prohibiting text messaging while driving in Washington state become effective Jan. 1, 2008. The National Conference of State Legislatures found a host of state laws in 31 states ranging from controversial to clever that will become law on New Year's Day."

NYSDOT press release: "Detailed, “hands-on” inspections of the 49 deck truss bridges in New York State have confirmed that those bridges are safe for travel. In a report issued [December 26, 2007], the New York State Bridge Task Force also found the bridge inspection protocols used in New York are effective. The review, which builds upon a Task Force report issued on Aug. 31 following visual inspections of the 49 bridges, confirms the earlier findings and outlines a three-part strategy to improve the condition of more than 17,000 state and local highway bridges in New York."

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions - Supplement (December 14, 2007)

Press release: "The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) today...a request for information (RFI) to private industry, research organizations, and state and local governments seeking information about commercially available technology applications designed to fight congestion and improve the safety and performance of the nation’s transportation system."

The State of the Media Democracy: Are You Ready for the Future of Media?: "To shed light on how different generations are “consuming” media — and what their future media preferences are likely to be — Deloitte & Touche USA LLP’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice commissioned an extensive survey on the evolving role of media in America. This State of the Media Democracy survey offers a generational reality check on the usage of current media platforms/devices and what the future may hold. Fielded by Harrison Group (an independent research services firm) from February 23 through March 6, 2007, the survey used an online methodology to collect information from 2,200 U.S. consumers between the ages of 13 and 75."

New York Times Op-Ed: "...Johns Hopkins University published a simple five-step checklist designed to prevent certain hospital infections. It reminds doctors to make sure, for example, that before putting large intravenous lines into patients, they actually wash their hands and don a sterile gown and gloves....The results were stunning. Within three months, the rate of bloodstream infections from these I.V. lines fell by two-thirds. The average I.C.U. cut its infection rate from 4 percent to zero. Over 18 months, the program saved more than 1,500 lives and nearly $200 million...Yet this past month, the Office for Human Research Protections shut the program down. [Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a New Yorker staff writer.]

NOAA: 2007 a Top Ten Warm Year for U.S. and Globe - "The year 2007 is on pace to become one of the 10 warmest years for the contiguous U.S., since national records began in 1895, according to preliminary data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The year was marked by exceptional drought in the U.S. Southeast and the West, which helped fuel another extremely active wildfire season. The year also brought outbreaks of cold air, and killer heat waves and floods. Meanwhile, the global surface temperature for 2007 is expected to be fifth warmest since records began in 1880. Preliminary data will be updated in early January to reflect the final three weeks of December and is not considered final until a full analysis is complete next spring."
Contents of this Report:

US Courts: "A new fee schedule for certified and professionally qualified interpreters and for language skilled interpreters in federal courts takes effect January 2, 2008. Rates. More about Federal Court Interpreter Program."

A Historic Find Behind a Supreme Court Filing Cabinet: "A copy of the Declaration of Independence sat forgotten at the high court. Now it's cleaned up and on display...The copy, one of only 200 made from the 1776 original, would likely fetch $500,000 or more if sold on the open market, according to an expert dealer in historic documents." Tony Mauro, Legal Times, December 28, 2007.

Benazir Bhutto on going home to Pakistan - 'Despite the death threats, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but lead the fight against it,' former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, from the Globe and Mail, October 18, 2007 at 10:18 AM EST

Pakistan After Bhutto

Policy Options Paper: Pakistan

Pakistan's Institutions

"The holiday season is a time for giving – especially to those in need – and many charities are hard at work this time of year. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers the following tips to help you make the most of your charitable donations this season."

Press release: "Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox...launched the first-ever online tool that enables investors to easily and instantly compare what 500 of the largest American companies are paying their top executives. The new database highlights the power of interactive data to transform financial disclosure. The Executive Compensation Reader - available today on the SEC's Web site, here - builds on the Commission's new requirements that went into effect earlier this year to dramatically enhance clarity and completeness of executive compensation disclosure."

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries Blog: "We are pleased to announce the availability of all Supreme Judicial Court and Mass. Appeals Court cases from 1986-1996 at http://masscases.com. Cases are accessible by citation, case name, or through a Google custom search on the site. The collection also includes hundreds of the most-cited older Mass. cases."

SP 800-53 A - DRAFT Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal Information Systems: "NIST announces the release of Draft Special Publication 800-53A, Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal Information Systems. This final public draft provides comprehensive assessment procedures for all security controls in NIST Special Publication 800-53 (as amended) and important guidance for federal agencies in building effective security assessment plans. Comments will be accepted until January 31, 2008...Final publication of NIST Special Publication 800-53A is expected in March 2008."

US State Department's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) Activity Report: November 2007

Press release: "In a new report, the Federal Trade Commission staff describes findings from its July 2007 workshop, “Spam Summit: The Next Generation of Threats and Solutions” and proposes follow-up action steps that stakeholders can adopt to mitigate the harmful effects of malicious spam and phishing. In addition to proposing action steps for stakeholders, the report provides an overview of the agency’s decade-long role in protecting consumers from the threats of fraudulent spam and phishing. The report also announces results from staff’s 2007 Harvesting and Filtering Study, which suggest that Internet service providers’ spam filters continue to serve an integral role in reducing the amount of spam that reaches consumers’ in-boxes."

TSA: "Effective January 1, 2008, spare lithium batteries - extra batteries not installed on devices - will no longer be allowed in checked baggage. Spare lithium batteries may be packed in carry-on baggage and lithium batteries installed in a device may be packed in either checked or carry-on, as long as the battery is installed in the device. You can learn more here.

Thomas R. Bruce - Director, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, writing on Technoids:

• "First and newest: vastly improved views of US Code updates at all levels. Clicking the "updates" link at the right at any level of the Code gives you all of the classification-table updates for that chunk of the Code since the last revision date for that Title. We now parse, store, and organize the classification-table data locally, so it's speedy and up to date. We realize that in some cases there will be a very more recent changes than are reflected in the classification tables, but for the most part we think this is a good compromise between complexity and accuracy. We check for new updates to the classification tables daily. We think you'll like the presentation and the convenience.


• For a long time now, people have asked for the ability to print multiple sections of the Code at once. We now make available PDFs at the first layer of aggregation above the section (usually but not always called a chapter) for free, and larger aggregations at what I'd call "i-Tunes pricing". This is not yet implemented for all Titles, and not for all "supersections" within some Titles.


• For the most part the printed versions look good. There are always going to be problems -- for example, the Code contains numerous instances of chemical formulae that have been rendered in funny ways in the typesetting data we get and are virtually impossible to do anything useful with yet. As a matter of geek-interest, I'll add that this has not been an easy project. We transform the typesetting data into XML, and then use XSLT to make the hypertext version (which we've done for years) and an XSL-FO version for rendering in PDF. This latter technology is not precisely mature; IIRC we spent (eg.) close to a year waiting for the table-rendering features to render tables.

Press release: "Proofpoint, Inc., the leading provider of unified email security and data loss prevention solutions, today reported spam trends for data collected during the month of November 2007, finding that, on average, spam continues to represent nearly 90% of the total email volume received by large enterprises. Attachment-based spam made a comeback with the prevalence of image-based spam, PDF spam and Microsoft Word document spam all increasing over October levels."

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Between the Department of Defense and the Department of State on USG Private Security Contractors - (12/5/2007): "The purpose of this MOA is to clearly define the authority and responsibility for the accountability and operations of USG Private Security Contractors in Iraq...Pursuant to this MOA the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense have agreed that they will jointly develop, implement and follow core standards, policies and procedures for the accountability, oversight and discipline of PSCs..."

Courthouse News: "The Federal Circuit renewed patent infringement claims over Google's AutoLink and AdSense programs by tossing out part of a summary judgment ruling for Hyperphrase Technologies LLC. The circuit decision is a setback for the Internet search engine and a victory for Hyperphrase, which challenged the judgment that neither program infringes any of 15 patent claims."

Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care, Final Report, December 2007 (204 pages, PDF): "The Task Force concludes that, first and foremost, DoD must maintain a health care system that meets the military’s readiness needs. DoD should make changes in its business and health care practices aimed at improving the effectiveness of the military health care system. The Task Force also believes that those treated by this system—military members and retirees as well as their dependents—deserve a generous health care benefit in recognition of their important service to the Nation. However, to be fair to the American taxpayers, the military health care benefit must be reasonably consistent with broad trends in the U.S. health care system. To implement these overarching conclusions, the Task Force makes several broad recommendations. Many of these recommendations, if implemented, would affect the entire Military Health System. Other recommendations are focused on the health benefits for military retirees. Importantly, the Task Force recommends no changes in the minimal costs now paid by Active Duty military personnel or their family members for health care."

Alliance for Taxpayer Access: "President Bush has signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2007 (H.R. 2764), which includes a provision directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide the public with open online access to findings from its funded research. This is the first time the U.S. government has mandated public access to research funded by a major agency. The provision directs the NIH to change its existing Public Access Policy, implemented as a voluntary measure in 2005, so that participation is required for agency-funded investigators. Researchers will now be required to deposit electronic copies of their peer-reviewed manuscripts into the National Library of Medicine’s online archive, PubMed Central. Full texts of the articles will be publicly available and searchable online in PubMed Central no later than 12 months after publication in a journal."

Press release: "The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)...announced the publication of a final rule allowing employers that provide retiree health benefits to continue the longstanding practice of coordinating those benefits with Medicare (or comparable state health benefits) without violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The regulation, which safeguards retiree health benefits, was published in [the December 26, 2007] Federal Register."

Press release: "Citizens are less satisfied with federal government services than they are with private sector services, according to the annual federal government report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) released [December 18, 2007]. In aggregate, citizen satisfaction with the federal government is 67.8 on ACSI’s 100-point scale, 11 percent lower than the National ACSI (75.2). Private sector services score 74."

Press release: "Coming soon to 20 major cities nationwide: our wanted fugitives, missing persons, and high-priority security messages flashing across large digital billboards in strategic locations where they can be seen by millions driving by each day. The initiative — announced on Monday following a successful campaign in Philadelphia — is made possible through a partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor, an advertising company that’s providing the space as a public service. The billboards will enable us to highlight those who we're looking for the most in a given area: violent criminals, kidnap victims, missing kids, bank robbers, even terrorists. And we'll be able to feature them quickly—right after a crime is committed, a child is taken, or an attack is launched."

2007 Combined Statement of Receipts, Outlays, and Balances of the United States Government: "This statement presents budget results and the cash-related assets and liabilities of the Federal Government with supporting details. The financial results for the year include total receipts of $2,567.7 billion, an increase of $161.0 billion over 2006 receipts; total outlays of $2,730.5 billion, an increase of $75.6 billion over 2006 outlays; and a $162.8 billion deficit, a decrease of $85.4 billion under the 2006 deficit. The budget figures presented in this statement represent agency reporting for fiscal year 2007 and adjustments to those year-end figures as reported through October 22, 2007. Revisions may be necessary once agencies have fully reconciled their data."

GAO-08-381CG, Partnering for Progress--Working Together to Strengthen Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) - David M. Walker Head of the GAO Comptroller General of the United States Vice-Chairman, INTOSAI Finance and Administration Committee and Dr. Ahmed El-Midaoui Premier President, Court of Accounts of Morocco, Chairman, INTOSAI Capacity Building Committee. 9th Meeting of the Joint Venture on Public Financial Management, Working Party on Aid Effectiveness, December 19, 2007 - Paris, France.

Press release, December 20, 2007: "Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez today welcomed the final report of the Deemed Export Advisory Committee, a distinguished group of Americans commissioned by the Secretary in September 2006 to examine the complex issue of deemed exports. Deemed exports are the transfer of sensitive dual-use technology to foreign nationals working or studying in the United States."

Des Moines Register Iowa Caucus Coverage, including an interactive graphic of How the Caucuses Work: Find candidate bios, the latest news, analysis, events, photos, videos, blogs, caucus history, candidate visits map, top Iowa caucuses links, latest Iowa poll results, FEC - money raised from Iowa donors, campaign cartoons.

"CDT has created a list to alert consumers about music download Web sites that charge fees and claim a large selection, but do not appear to have obtained licenses to ensure that users' downloads from the site are legal. Consumers looking to download music lawfully for the new computers and MP3 players they receive this holiday season may want to check CDT's list before paying money to unfamiliar but legitimate-looking music services. CDT hopes that warning consumers about these sites can help avoid confusion and promote the continued growth of the lawful online music market."

OIG-08-17 - Independent Auditor's Report on DHS' FY 2007 Special-Purpose Financial Statements, November 2007 (PDF, 171 pages).

Ponemon 2007 Annual Study: U.S. Cost of a Data Breach - Understanding Financial Impact, Customer Turnover, and Preventitive Solutions: This study "was derived from a detailed analysis of 35 data breach incidents. According to the study, the cost per compromised customer record increased in 2007, compared to 2006. Lost business opportunity, including losses associated with customer churn and acquisition, represented the most significant component of the cost increase. Companies analyzed were from 16 different industries, including communications, consumer goods, education, entertainment, financial services, gaming, health care, hospitality, internet, manufacturing, marketing, media, retail, services, technology, and transportation."

US-China Business Council: 110th Congress, First Session, Legislation Related to China, as of December 20, 2007 (14 pages, PDF).

Rand Corporation Occasional Paper: Modernizing the Federal Government - Paying for Performance, by Silvia Montoya, John D. Graham: "Enhancing the performance of the civil service has been a central objective of the United States since the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 authorized a performance-based component to federal salary structures. In 2003, the National Commission on the Public Service, also known as the Volcker Commission, recommended that explicit pay-for-performance (PFP) systems be adopted more broadly throughout the federal government. The authors compare several proposals aimed at enhancing the role of PFP in the federal government: a White House proposal (the Working for America Act), which recommends that the entire federal workforce be converted to PFP systems by 2010; and three bills in the 110th Congress. This occasional paper examines the advantages and pitfalls of explicit PFP schemes compared with the largely seniority-based salary system that still covers more than half of federal civil servants. The authors consider why using PFP in the public sector is challenging, what can be learned from the social science literature, recent practical experience, and growing congressional opposition to PFP."

Rand Corporation - Developing Robust Border Security Technologies to Protect Against Diverse and Adaptive Threats: Addendum - December 24, 2007 - Brian Jackson. Document submitted on December 17, 2007 as an addendum to testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on November 15, 2007.

All the best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.

Press release: "The Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State, released...a retrospective intelligence volume in the Foreign Relations of the United States series, documenting the development and consolidation of the intelligence community. This volume, The Intelligence Community, 1950–1955 (867 pages, PDF), is the sequel to The Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment, 1945–1950, published in 1996. This new volume, which is organized chronologically from January 1950 to December 1955, documents the institutional growth of the intelligence community during its heyday under Directors Walter Bedell Smith and Allen W. Dulles, and demonstrates how Smith, through his prestige, ability to obtain national security directives from a supportive President Truman, and bureaucratic acumen, truly transformed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It closes with a collection of relevant National Security Council Intelligence Directives (NSCIDs) issued during the years 1950–1955 as approved by the National Security Council and the President, as well as revisions to earlier NSCIDs published in the Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment, 1945–1950."

• Preface


• Sources


• Abbreviations and Terms


• Persons


• Index


• Chapters: Organization of U.S. Intelligence [Document Numbers 1-251]; NSCIDs [Document Numbers 252-259]
  Permanent Link       Topic(s): E-Government, Government Documents

"The International Macroeconomic Data Set provides data from 1969 through 2017 for real (adjusted for inflation) gross domestic product (GDP), population, real exchange rates, and other variables for the 190 countries and 34 regions that are most important for U.S. agricultural trade. The data presented here are a key component of the USDA Baseline projections process, and can be used as a benchmark for analyzing the impacts of U.S. and global macroeconomic shocks. The data for the Baseline projections are updated once a year in December to reflect the assumptions used for the Baseline. The historical data will be revised semiannually as the underlying data evolve.

Reducing the Global Nuclear Danger: International Cooperation – the Indispensable Security Imperative, by Charles B. Curtis, President, Nuclear Threat Initiative, November 2007.

Entering the Executive Branch of Government: Potential Conflicts of Interest With Previous Employments and Affiliations, Updated December 11, 2007 [via FAS]

Federal Enterprise Architecture Program, EA Assessment Framework 2.2, October 2007

"The Department of Homeland Security released grant guidance and application kits for two grant programs totaling more than $35 million to help states prepare to implement REAL ID provisions that require a standard format for state-issued driver's licenses. The REAL ID Demonstration Grant Program will provide $31.3 million in grants to the states to check motor vehicle records in other states to ensure drivers don't have multiple licenses, and to verify immigration status against federal records. It will help standardize methods by which states may seamlessly verify an applicant's information with another state and deploy verification capabilities that can be used by all states, while protecting personal identification information."

Clay Johnson III, OMB: "I am announcing the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) initiative to optimize our individual network services into a common solution for the federal government. This common solution facilitates the reduction of our external connections, including our Internet points of presence, to a target of fifty. Additionally, the role of the US-CERT will be enhanced to improve our response capabilities. Each agency will be required to develop a comprehensive plan of action and milestones (POA&M) with a target completion date of June 2008. Initial agency POA&Ms must be sent to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) by January 8, 2008, for review and agreement with OMB, DHS, and the agency."

Online Journalism Review: As the U.S. approaches the 2008 Presidential voting, website journalists are using interactive graphics to provide coverage at a glance, by Robert Niles: "Every election cycle inspires innovation at newspaper websites. This year, leading U.S. newspapers are offering some stunning online graphic tools to help their readers get an overview of the many elements of the campaign, at a glance."

Press release: "The New York State Department of State today announced that an unofficial compilation of all State codes, rules, and regulations, which runs more than 58,000 pages, is now available on the Department of State website in searchable format...The codes, rules, and regulations, commonly known as the NYCRR, can now be accessed at the Department of State website at www.dos.state.ny.us/info/nycrr.htm. The material can be searched with words and phrases. A drill down table of contents will be added in several weeks. The text is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. This website is maintained by Thomson West under contract with the New York Department of State to provide free public access to the full text of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations."

Press release: "A new Defense Department report reflects military needs and goals in acquiring improved unmanned systems during the decades ahead, a senior official told Pentagon reporters here today. Titled, Unmanned Systems Roadmap: 2007-2032 (188 pages. PDF), the report looks at how the U.S. military should proceed in developing, acquiring and integrating air-, land- and sea-based unmanned technology over the next 25 years, Dyke Weatherington, deputy director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, said at a news conference. The task force is within the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics." [via slashdot]

How CBO Projects the Real Rate of Interest on 10-Year Treasury Notes, December 2007

H.R. 6 - "An Act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes"..."phases out the 125-year-old bulb in the next four to 12 years in favor of a new generation of energy-efficient lights that will cost consumers more but return their investment in a few months." [USA Today]

Press release: "As part of the FDA’s comprehensive Food Protection Plan initiative, the agency today released self-assessment tools for industry to minimize the risk of intentional contamination of food and cosmetics. The tools are companion pieces designed to make previously issued industry guidance documents more user-friendly and practical."

CRS Report - U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 1999-2006, December 20, 2007

Side-by-Side Comparison of Climate Change Provisions in Omnibus Energy Legislation in the 110th Congress, updated December 14, 2007.

"The State of the World's Children 2007 (160 pages, PDF) examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives - and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) forward, and shows how investment in women's rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children."

CDC - Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2006 - December 2007 (163 pages, PDF)

US Courts: "This is the latest working draft of the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct and Disability Proceedings Undertaken Pursuant To 28 U.S.C. §§ 351-364 (50 pages, PDF), adopted by the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability. The draft is a substantial revision of the Rules sent out for Public Comment on July 16, 2007. It is the result of the Committee's efforts to respond to the comments received during the public comment period, including testimony and other submissions at the Public Hearing held on September 27, 2007."

YouTube: The Royal Channel - The Official Channel of the British Monarchy

The Economist: "Energy efficiency is probably the most popular environmental panacea. While politicians discuss complicated global climate-change deals, economists tinker with intricate emissions-trading schemes and engineers design a new generation of nuclear-power plants, many greens advocate simpler steps: buying more efficient cars, replacing wasteful incandescent bulbs with efficient fluorescent ones and installing proper insulation. The International Energy Agency reckons that more efficient manufacturing, cosier houses and frugal transport could reduce energy demand worldwide by a third by 2050."

• The Rebound Effect: an assessment of the evidence for economy-wide energy savings from improved energy efficiency, October 2007 (123 pages, PDF)


• Launch Presentation| More information |(technical papers, etc)


• Related postings on energy efficiency

"The Strategic Transformation Plan 2006-2010 details how the Postal Service will improve the value of mail while continuing to address the nation's mailing needs with affordable and reliable universal service. Like the 2002 Transformation Plan, it will drive the Postal Service to become even more streamlined and efficient, and continue to achieve record levels of service and customer satisfaction."

Project for Excellence in Journalism: "Through the first 10 months of the year, the portrait of Iraq that Americans have received from the news media has in considerable measure been a grim one. Roughly half of the reporting has consisted of accounts of daily violence. And stories that explicitly assessed the direction of the war have tended toward pessimism, according to a new study of press coverage of events on the ground in Iraq from January through October of 2007."

• Center for Strategic and International Studies, Progress in Iraq: The December Report on Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq by Anthony H. Cordesman - "...A strategic partnership requires both sides to be partners. So far, Iraq’s leaders have not been able to move forward on their side at the rate required, and victories against AQI are not “victory.” Only real progress in all of the five areas outlined earlier – especially political accommodation – can justify a continued US presence and sacrifices. Any major waves of sectarian or ethnic violence, or the rise of new threats against US forces, could make that effort untenable."

OIG-08-17 - Independent Auditor's Report on DHS' FY 2007 Special-Purpose Financial Statements (PDF, 171 pages) - New 12/21/2007

White House: "S. 888, the Genocide Accountability Act of 2007, which expands criminal liability for participation in acts of genocide committed outside of the United States to persons not covered by current criminal law..."

Follow up to previous postings on EPA Library Closures, news from Library Journal: "Reversing a policy bitterly opposed by library advocates, many Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees, and the watchdog Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), Congress in its omnibus appropriations bill sent to President George W. Bush has earmarked $3 million to restore service at the EPA’s technical and research libraries."

Press release: "The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asked a federal court in Manhattan [December 21, 2007] to require open access to records in the civil case over liability following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Victims of the attacks and their families filed lawsuits against airline and security companies seeking to determine liability for their injury or losses due to the security breaches that led to the attacks. Documents filed with the court in this case were presumed open, except for a few narrow categories of records Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein deemed could be confidential, including financial and trade secrets data. However, the airline and security companies have been using the narrow protective order to assert that more than 99 percent of the tens of thousands of pages of documents they filed with the court should be covered as confidential under the order. The Reporters Committee argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that is extremely unlikely that nearly all the records contain the information required for confidentiality under the order and asked Hellerstein to require the parties to strictly adhere to the order, only limiting public access to that information allowable under the order...The brief was filed in In re September 11 Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York."

New York Times, Hoover Planned Mass Jailings in 1950: "A newly declassified document shows that J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, had a plan to suspend habeas corpus and imprison some 12,000 Americans he suspected of disloyalty. Hoover sent his plan to the White House on July 7, 1950, 12 days after the Korean War began. It envisioned putting suspect Americans in military prisons. Hoover wanted President Harry S. Truman to proclaim the mass arrests necessary to “protect the country against treason, espionage and sabotage.” The F.B.I would “apprehend all individuals potentially dangerous” to national security, Hoover’s proposal said. The arrests would be carried out under “a master warrant attached to a list of names” provided by the bureau."

Official Google Blog: "Here's a suggestion for everyone to save energy over the holidays (and at other times!): turn off your computer and monitor or put them into "sleep" mode when you're not using them. Why? The typical desktop PC uses 100-200 watts even when it's idle. That's the equivalent of 1-2 bright incandescent (read: inefficient) light bulbs. (Note: new PCs that comply with the latest Energy Star specifications consume less than 50-60 watts when idle.) You wouldn't leave your car running for hours when it's just sitting there. Most of us wouldn't leave a bright light bulb burning for hours when no one is nearby to need the light. So why leave your computer on? If you're leaving your office for the holidays, turn off your PC. If it consumes 100 watts, that will save 2.4 kWh/day, or over 25 kWh for the next 11 days through January 1st. In California, that will stop about 40 kg of CO2 from being put into the air, and save about $2.50. For every 1 million people who do this, that will stop 40,000 tonnes (metric tons) of CO2 from being emitted, and save $2.5 million. In many areas, it will reduce emissions even further, and save even more money. The same issue applies at home: turn off your computer or put it to sleep when you're not using it. The automatic power management settings on most computers will put them to sleep automatically after a specified idle period."

Washington Post: "The federal agency in charge of policing the torrent of political spending during the upcoming presidential primaries will, for all practical purposes, shut its doors on New Year's Eve. The Federal Election Commission will effectively go dark on Jan. 1 because Congress remains locked in a standoff over the confirmation of President Bush's nominees to the panel. As a consequence, the FEC will enter 2008 with just two of six members -- short of the four votes needed for the commission to take any official action."

Washington Post: "The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion effort to build the world's largest computer database of peoples' physical characteristics, a project that would give the government unprecedented abilities to identify individuals in the United States and abroad. Digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns are already flowing into FBI systems in a climate-controlled, secure basement here. Next month, the FBI intends to award a 10-year contract that would significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives. And in the coming years, law enforcement authorities around the world will be able to rely on iris patterns, face-shape data, scars and perhaps even the unique ways people walk and talk, to solve crimes and identify criminals and terrorists. The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law."

TPMmuckraker, State Dept Document from 2005 Shows Fraud in Blackwater's Iraq Contract:

"A report prepared for the State Department's inspector general in January 2005, and obtained by TPMmuckraker, shows Blackwater's accounting system for its no-bid, multimillion dollar Iraq contract was "not considered adequate for accumulating costs on government contracts." The report is an audit of Blackwater's contract prepared by the accounting firm of Leonard H. Birnbaum. It has been referred to by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and in a 2006 story in The Nation, but has not been made publicly available until now. It was obtained by TPMmuckraker after we filed a Freedom of Information Act request in October with the State Department for Blackwater-related documents. You can read the 2005 State Department report in our Documents Collection here."

CDC National Center for Health Statistics: "The teen birth rate in the United States rose in 2006 for the first time since 1991, and unmarried childbearing also rose significantly, according to preliminary birth statistics released [December 3, 2007] by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...The report shows that between 2005 and 2006, the birth rate for teenagers 15-19 years rose 3 percent, from 40.5 live births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years in 2005 to 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006. This follows a 14-year downward trend in which the teen birth rate fell by 34 percent from its recent peak of 61.8 births per 1,000 in 1991...The study also shows unmarried childbearing reached a new record high in 2006. The total number of births to unmarried mothers rose nearly 8 percent to 1,641,700 in 2006. This represents a 20 percent increase from 2002, when the recent upswing in nonmarital births began. The biggest jump was among unmarried women aged 25-29, among whom there was a 10 percent increase between 2005 and 2006."

"Commissioned by the [Kaiser] Foundation, a new report by the Southern Institute on Children and Families provides state-by-state estimates of uninsured children in the southern region of the country, which contains 17 states and the District of Columbia. The report contains fact sheets showing estimates of uninsured children for each of these states. It shows that while 38% of children overall lived in the South, nearly half (46%) of the over 9 million uninsured children in the United States resided in the southern region."

The Inquirer: "Norway's Government has mandated that its websites must use Open Document Format (ODF) for files published for use by the Norwegian public.

"The government has decided that all information on governmental websites should be available in the open formats HTML, PDF or ODF. With this decision the times when public documents where only available in Microsoft's Word-format is coming to an end. "'Everybody should have equal access to public information. From 2009 the citizens will be able to chose which software to use in order to gain access to public information. The government's decision will also improve the competition between suppliers of office applications,' says IT-minister Heidi Grande Røys."

Press release: "There’s growing awareness of the nation’s February 2009 transition to digital television by TV broadcasters, yet the group of Americans with the lowest level of awareness about the transition includes those that are most deeply affected – households that receive television programming exclusively “over the air.” These are among the results from the CTAM Pulse, a nationwide survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted last month by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), an association of cable industry marketing executives. CTAM is a member of the DTV Transition Coalition, a group created to educate consumers about the digital transition."

"This new web-only publication, Employment & Earnings Online, has replaced the monthly print publication, Employment & Earnings (E&E). The April 2007 issue was the final one to be issued on paper -- in addition, this issue was the first one completely available in PDF format. The May 2007 issue is also available now and subsequent ones will be added to the BLS website soon. You may notice that there are some differences between the print publication and the web-only publication; some of the content that had appeared in the print publication is now available through links to material on the BLS website. The web-only publication contains a link to the Employment Situation news release instead of including the text of it. In addition, a webpage at features a set of helpful links for readers of Employment & Earnings Online." [via IWS Documented News Service]

The New Yorker, Twilight of the Books - What will life be like if people stop reading? by Caleb Crain.

OTS Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2007 - "Report highlights unique advantages of the thrift charter and the quality of OTS supervision."

"The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States."
Top 5 Data Links:

• Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008


• 12 - Resident Population--States: 1980 to 2006 [Excel 50k] | [PDF 460k]


• 7 - Resident Population by Age and Sex: 1980 to 2006 [Excel 61k] | [PDF 456k]


• 696 - Top Wealth Holders With Gross Assets of $675,000 or More by Type of Property, Sex, and Size of Net Worth: 2001 [Excel 31k] | [PDF 466k]


• 702 - Purchasing Power of the Dollar: 1980 to 2006 [Excel 42k] | [PDF 462k]


• 74 - Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990 and 2001 [Excel 28k] | [PDF 458k]<

The Department of Energy's Pandemic Influenza Planning, December 2007

Washington Times: "China's intelligence service gained access to a secret National Security Agency listening post in Hawaii through a Chinese-language translation service, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The spy penetration was discovered several years ago as part of a major counterintelligence probe by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) that revealed an extensive program by China's spy service to steal codes and other electronic intelligence secrets, and to recruit military and civilian personnel with access to them."

White House Fact Sheet: Year in Review: 2007 - A Year Of Accomplishment For The American People, December 20, 2007.

"As announced previously by OIP, we are now posting up-to-date summaries of new court decisions. To facilitate their review, the cases are broken down by FOIA Exemption or procedural element and internal citations and quotations have been omitted. OIP provides these case summaries as a public service; due to their nature as summaries, they are not intended to be authoritative or complete statements of the facts or holdings of any of the cases summarized, and they should not be relied upon as such. Set out [here] are summaries of the court decisions that were received by OIP during the month of November 2007."

Press release: "States are working more closely and more effectively with federal agencies than ever before to share information that could prevent terrorist attacks, but their relationship with the federal government in a number of other key security areas remains a work in progress, according to a new issue brief from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center)."

Bureau of Justice Statistics - Federal Prosecution of Child Sex Exploitation Offenders, 2006: "Presents Federal criminal case processing statistics on child sex offenses, including sex transportation, sexual abuse, and child pornography. The report includes data on case processing, such as the number of cases referred, prosecuted, and convicted. Defendant characteristics at initial hearing for the three types of offenses are provided. Data are also presented on changes in the number of defendants charged from 1994 to 2006."

Press release: "Today the Treasury Department released a comprehensive study addressing business taxation and global competitiveness that is a follow-up to the July conference with business leaders, economists, and policy makers about this important issue. This report, Approaches to Improve the Competitiveness of the U.S. Business Tax System for the 21st Century (121 pages, PDF), outlines several broad approaches to business tax reform. The study also outlines specific business tax areas that can be addressed. There are no policy recommendations in this study."

2007 Survey of Inspection and Evaluation Units in the Federal Inspector General Community (Inspection & Evaluation Committee; 12/07)

"U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) and Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Vice Chair of the JEC, today released the Committee’s annual report. The President says his policies are working to make the economy strong and that all Americans are benefiting, but the facts show an economic record that has left the vast majority of American families behind. The JEC report concludes that the country needs a change in direction to get our economy back on the right track and to ensure that all American families share in our nation’s growing prosperity."

• Highlights: "The main indicator of the overall health of the U.S. economy, GDP growth, has been anemic during this economic recovery. Since the last economic peak in the first quarter of 2001, the economy has expanded at an annual rate of only 2.6 percent, about a third less than the 3.7 percent average growth rate of the three prior economic cycles of similar length."


• The 2007 Joint Economic Report - Report of the Joint Economic Committee of the United States on the 2007 Economic Report of the President Together with Minority Views. Report 110-251, December 2007 (234 pages, PDF)


• The State of the U.S. Economy: "News on the sub-prime lending crisis and threats of a recession raise more questions than answers. On December 19 at Brookings, two leading voices on economic policy—former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and New York Senator Charles Schumer—offered concrete policy suggestions to address the twin threats that face this nation’s economic health. [Transcript, 63 pages, PDF]

Press release: "The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it will not seek to block Google Inc.’s proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of Internet advertising server DoubleClick Inc. In a 4-1 vote to close its eight-month investigation of the transaction, the Commission wrote in its majority statement that "after carefully reviewing the evidence, we have concluded that Google’s proposed acquisition of DoubleClick is unlikely to substantially lessen competition."

• Proposed Acquisition of Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners V, LP, (Click Holding Company) By Google Inc., File No. 071 0170


• Statement of the Commission


• Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Harbour


• Concurring Statement of Commissioner Leibowitz


• Closing Letter to Counsel for Google Inc.


• Closing Letter to Counsel for Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners V, LP


• Online Behavioral Advertising: Moving the Discussion Forward to Possible Self-Regulatory Principles: Statement of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Proposing Governing Principles For Online Behavioral Advertising and Requesting Comment - Text of Staff Statement


• EPIC and CDD have raised far-reaching objections to the merger. EPIC Statement.


• European Consumers' Organisation: Google/DoubleClick: Consumers' privacy is at stake >>Press release >>Letter to Commissioner Kroes
  Permanent Link       Topic(s): E-Commerce, E-Government, Government Documents, Search Engines

The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President 2007 [368 pages, PDF] — "This annual report since 1982 continues to serve as a reference source to business owners, policymakers, and researchers when they need information on small business' performance in the economy [Research Summary] [PDF file]. Downloadable tables (Microsoft Excel File) for Appendix A (Microsoft Excel File) for the most recent version are provided. (Text synopsis version)."

US Courts: "Filing a bankruptcy case pro se—without the assistance of an attorney—is not for the faint of heart. “Before the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), a pro se debtor could successfully navigate filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy,” said Bankruptcy Judge S. Martin Teel, Jr. (D.D.C.). “But with the new Act and its many technical requirements, it’s really a minefield for pro se filers.” Now the Administrative Office’s Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group (BJAG), of which Teel is a member, has developed a helpful web page for individuals who are thinking of filing a bankruptcy petition pro se." See Filing for Bankruptcy Without an Attorney.

Press release: "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced the award of $33.7 million to fund equipment and training for first responders across the nation as a part of the fiscal year 2007 Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP). Since the program’s inception in 2005, DHS has provided roughly 5,800 direct assistance awards worth more than $103 million for all hazards in smaller jurisdictions nationwide."

"The United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today voted to adopt the 2006 Election Day Survey, the largest and most comprehensive survey on election administration ever conducted by a U.S. governmental organization. Key 2006 Election Facts (As reported by the states):

• The 2006 Election Administration and Voting Survey, A Summary of Key Findings, December 2007 (101 pages, PDF)


• 2006 Election Administration and Voting Survey Data Files, December 2007

Press release: "U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today announced new measures to reduce airline delays over the holiday season and new actions designed to reduce congestion in the New York area starting next summer...The agreement among the major airlines serving JFK caps the number of flights at either 82 or 83 per hour, depending on the time of day, Secretary Peters said. The hourly caps will take effect March 15, 2008 and will be in place for 2008 and 2009. Airlines will be able to shift their flights to times of the day when the airport has unused capacity, allowing 50 more flights per day than were offered last summer - just more reasonably spaced, she said.
The Secretary also directed the FAA to enter into negotiations to set hourly caps at Newark International Airport, so that flights aren’t simply shifted there, erasing gains made at JFK. Effective today, Secretary Peters also announced new take-off patterns at Newark and Philadelphia International Airport that will allow aircraft to fan out after take off and provide more options for aircraft waiting to depart."

Fully searchable and browseable online. Now available online from the U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001 Bound Congressional Record.

FEC Campaign Finance Maps: Campaign finance information is now available via easy to use maps of the USA for both Presidential and House and Senate Elections through September 30, 2007. Search Donor's name, contributions and size of donations.

"A new Facts for Consumers publication issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers what to do if their mortgage company or mortgage servicing company closes or files for bankruptcy. How to Manage Your Mortgage If Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankruptcy has several situation-based tips for consumers related to servicing transfers, escrow accounts, and payment disputes."

DOD Report to Congress: Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,
Submitted as Required by the FY 2007 Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-289), December 2007 (61 pages, PDF)

Report to the Royalty Policy Committee, Mineral Revenue Collection from Federal and Indian Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf, Submitted by: The Subcommittee on Royalty Management with staff support from U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Policy Analysis (Office of the Secretary) and the Bureau of Land Management, December 17, 2007 (192 pages, PDF)

Kaiser Family Foundation, The Pew Global Project Attitudes, A Global Look at Public Perceptions of Health Problems, Priorities, and Donors: The Kaiser/PEW Global Health Survey, December 2007

Press release: "...in a statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the American Library Association (ALA) addressed the critical yet unacknowledged role public libraries play in delivering E-government services to the American people. Increasingly, government agencies refer individuals to their local public libraries for assistance and access to the Internet for citizen-government interactions. Yet public libraries are not considered members of the E-government team. ALA's statement (PDF), for the Committee's hearing on E-government, highlighted the stress these E-government services are placing on public libraries' infrastructure and suggested taking steps toward creating a partnership between public libraries and the government in order to improve E-government delivery to citizens."

Center for Social Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Surveying Internet Usage in China, and its Impact in Seven Chinese Cities, Report by Professor Guo Liang, CASS, November 2007 (126 pages, PDF)

IBM Reveals Five Innovations that Will Change Our Lives Over the Next Five Years: "Unveiled today, the second annual "IBM Next Five in Five" is a list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. The list is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s Labs around the world that could make these innovations possible."

Press release: "The Federal Trade Commission today told the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security that identity theft remains one of the highest priorities for the Commission, and that the agency is playing a lead role in preventing identity theft and helping those who are victimized."

"States have promised at least $2.73 trillion in pension, health care and other retirement benefits for public employees over the next three decades, according to a report released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Center on the States. Promises with a Price, the first 50-state analysis of its kind, finds that states have saved enough to cover about 85 percent of their long-term pension costs, but only 3 percent of the funds needed for promised retiree health care and other non-pension benefits. All told, states already have set aside about $2 trillion to meet their long-term obligations. But they still need to come up with about $731 billion—a conservative figure that does not include all costs for teachers and local government employees."

The National Security Archive: "The House of Representatives at 5:18 pm today unanimously passed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform bill (S. 2488) that passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 14. The bill aims to fix some of the most persistent problems in the FOIA system, including excessive delay, lack of responsiveness, and litigation gamesmanship by federal agencies. Following today’s approval by the House, the OPEN Government Act will be sent to the President's desk for approval...The new law would mandate tracking numbers for FOIA requests that take longer than 10 days to process to ensure they will no longer fall through the cracks, require agencies to report more accurately to Congress and the public on their FOIA programs, create a new ombuds office at the National Archives to mediate conflicts between agencies and requesters, clarify the purpose of FOIA to encourage dissemination of government information, and provide incentives to agencies to avoid litigation and processing delays."

Press release: "The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday proposed and asked for public comment on changes to Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive home mortgage lending and advertising practices. The rule, which would be adopted under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), would restrict certain practices and would also require certain mortgage disclosures to be provided earlier in the transaction."

Press release: "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today concluded its quadrennial review of the broadcast ownership rules. The Commission amended the 32-year-old absolute ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership by crafting an approach that would presumptively allow a newspaper to own one television station or one radio station in the 20 largest markets, subject to strict criteria and limitations. The newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule currently prohibits common ownership of a broadcast station and a daily newspaper in the same market. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Court), affirmed the Commission’s determination that this blanket ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership was no longer in the public interest while remanding the specific cross-media ownership limits drawn by the Commission in 2003. The Court agreed that “…reasoned analysis supports the Commission’s determination that the blanket ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership was no longer in the public interest.”

Congressional Budget Office, Research on Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Issues and Options for an Expanded Federal Role, December 2007

"In a letter to the Attorney General, Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Waxman reiterated his request for documents from Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald’s investigation into the leak of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson, noting the absence of any pending Justice Department investigation or litigation."

Congressional Budget Office, CBO Cost Estimate for the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, December 2007

Official Google Blog: "For the latest information on a flight's status, simply search for an airline and flight number, and the first result will tell you whether your flight is on time or delayed as well as the estimated departure and arrival times."

Press release: "[December 17, 2007] House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey reiterating the Chairman's request to have a Department of Justice representative testify at Thursday's hearing on the Applicability of Federal Criminal Laws to the Interrogation of Detainees. Congressional leaders have already criticized the Department's refusal to provide any information about the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes and attempts to delay legislative inquiries into the matter. As Chairman Conyers' letter points out, the pending Justice Department investigation "should not be used as a shield against proper and necessary oversight."

The State of State Disclosure: An Evaluation of Online Public Information About Economic Development Subsidies, Procurement Contracts and Lobbying Activities by Philip Mattera, Karla Walter, Julie Farb Blain and Michelle Lee, November 2007, (Revised 11/19/07), Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First.

"Trust for America's Health (TFAH) released the fifth annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report (124 pages, PDF), which found that while important progress has been made, critical areas of the nation's emergency health preparedness effort still require attention. In addition, the continuing trend of annual cuts in federal funding for state and local preparedness activities threatens the nation's safety.
The "Ready or Not?" report contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) were evaluated based on data from publicly available sources or public officials in 2007. Thirty-five states and D.C. scored eight or higher on the scale of 10 indicators. Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia scored the highest with 10 out of 10. Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Wyoming scored the lowest with six out of 10."

"The Ninth Edition of The Progress & Freedom Foundation's Digital Economy Fact Book (188 pages, PDF) was released [December 14, 2007]...The resource guide features an expanded section on international data, reflecting the global importance of the digital economy."

Capital Punishment, 2006 - Statistical Tables, Tracy L. Snell, BJS Statistician: "Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death on December 31, 2006, and of persons executed in 2006 from the NPS-8 data collection. Tables present state-by-state information on the movement of prisoners into and out of death sentence status during 2006, status of capital statutes, and methods of execution. Numerical tables also summarize data on offenders' gender, race, Hispanic origin, age at time of arrest for capital offense, legal status at time of capital offense, and time between imposition of death sentence and execution."

Fiscal Year 2007 Financial Report of the United States Government: "The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is required annually to submit financial statements for the U.S. government to the President and the Congress. GAO is required to audit these statements. The FY 2007 Financial Report of the United States Government (Financial Report) published by the Department of the Treasury includes GAO's report on the accompanying U.S. government's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2007 and 2006, and the associated reports on internal control and compliance with significant laws and regulations."

Press release: "Ohio’s electronic voting systems have “critical security failures” which could impact the integrity of elections in the Buckeye State, according to a review of the systems commissioned by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. The Evaluation & Validation of Election-Related Equipment, Standards & Testing report, known as EVEREST, is a comprehensive review of voting systems revealing startling findings on voting machines and systems used in Ohio and throughout the country. The Ohio study tested the systems for: risks to vote security, system performance, including load capacity, configuration to currently certified systems specifications, and operations and internal controls that could mitigate risk."

Press release from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: "From its first days, this administration has tried to keep the American public in the dark about what goes on behind closed White House doors. Through a secret agreement and a letter from Vice President Cheney’s counsel, the administration had attempted to permanently hide from view records related to those who visit the White House and the vice president’s residence. Today, a federal judge has cracked open those doors by holding that these are Secret Service subject to public disclosure. As a result of CREW’s lawsuit, District of Columbia District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth has ordered the Secret Service to produce records of certain conservative leaders’ visits to the White House within 20 days."

"The Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing to examine whether all the charitable groups raising money for the purpose of helping our nation’s veterans are genuinely serving that need. Although a large number of charities are fulfilling their mission, serious questions have been raised about some groups. As you make charitable contributions this holiday season, this testimony and chart from the American Institute of Philanthropy could provide you with useful information."

DOE OIG Special Report: Management Challenges at the Department of Energy, December 2007

"Cancer will claim 7.6 million lives worldwide this year, and more than 12 million people will receive cancer diagnoses, according to Global Cancer Facts and Figures 2007, the newest edition to the American Cancer Society's family of Facts and Figures reports. The report, based on data compiled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), reveals disparities in how cancer affects the developed and developing world. Infection plays a greater role in shaping cancer incidence in developing countries, where the number of infection-related cancers is 3 times higher than in developed nations."

"DHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson announced today that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services found that Medicare drug plans have not met all requirements for tracking out-of-pocket spending by beneficiaries in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Accurate tracking of beneficiaries’ true out-of-pocket (TrOOP) costs is critical to ensuring appropriate cost sharing under the Part D program. TrOOP costs are the prescription drug expenditures that count toward the annual out-of-pocket threshold that beneficiaries must reach before catastrophic drug coverage begins. Yet in 2006, the Part D plans did not consistently meet requirements for reporting information to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractors and CMS conducted limited oversight of the process."

"This new publication by the American Legislative Exchange Council, Rich States/Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index, by Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore, is an invaluable resource for state lawmakers and citizens to evaluate their state’s fiscal and economic policies, while analyzing their results and ramifications."

"The National Center for State Courts has published Future Trends in State Courts 2007, the latest in its long-running “Report on Trends in the State Courts” series. This book, which is produced annually by NCSC’s Knowledge and Information Service, helps to make courts more aware of important trends in society and judicial administration that could affect court operations—and public trust and confidence in the judicial system."

"www.060.es is the first portal to give unified electronic access to Spain’s public services, regardless of which administration runs them. The new version will enable users to personalise this facility and adapt it to their own needs. Of the 565 services that can now be reached via the site, 325 are provided by the various departments of the General State Administration, 181 by Spain’s autonomous communities and 23 by local authorities."

6-294-08-002-P Audit of USAID/West Bank and Gaza’s Assistance to Al-Quds University, the Islamic University in Gaza, and American Near East Refugee Aid, December 10, 2007

Press release: "Forty-seven percent of internet users have searched for their own name online, but few monitor their online presence with great regularity. Fifty-three percent of internet users have searched online for information about personal and business contacts. These findings represent a significant change from when the Pew Internet Project first reported on this activity in 2002, at which time 22% of internet users had searched online for their own name."

Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007, 12/16/07: "4.5 percent of inmates report sexual victimization in the Nation's State and Federal prisons."

International and Foreign Legal Research: A Coursebook, by Marci Hoffman Associate Director, International & Foreign Law Librarian, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law Library and Mary Rumsey, Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian, University of Minnesota Law School Library, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Leiden / Boston (2007).

Select individual chapters to see a detailed table of contents, updated information on sources, and sample exercises.

• Table of Contents (PDF)


• Chapter 1, Getting Started


• Chapter 2, English Translations


• Chapter 3, Introductory and Background Sources


• Chapter 4, Commentary and Analysis


• Chapter 5, Internet Research


• Chapter 6, Public International Law


• Chapter 7, Foreign and Comparative Law


• Chapter 8, International Organizations


• Chapter 9, International Topics


• Appendix (PDF)


• Index (PDF)

"The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Toxic Substances Hydrology (Toxics) Program was initiated in 1982 to provide objective and reliable scientific information needed to develop policies and practices that help avoid exposure to toxic substances, mitigate environmental deterioration from contaminants, provide cost-effective cleanup and waste-disposal strategies, and reduce future risk of contamination. Contamination of surface water, ground water, soil, sediment, and the atmosphere by toxic substances is among the most significant issues facing the Nation. Contaminants such as excessive nutrients, organic chemicals, metals, and pathogens enter the environment, often inadvertently, via industrial, agricultural, mining, or other human activities. The extent of their migration and their persistence often are difficult to ascertain. Estimates of the costs and time frames for cleanup of contamination and protection of human and environmental health can best be described as astounding, despite continual efforts by governments and industries worldwide to improve environmental technologies."

Press release: "The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Semiannual Report to Congress reported total fiscal year (FY) 2007 savings and expected recoveries of $43 billion; $5 billion more than last year and more than double the savings and recoveries of just five years ago. OIG’s FY 2007 $43.08 billion in savings encompasses $39 billion in implemented recommendations and other actions to put funds to better use; $1.9 billion in audit receivables, up from $789 million in FY 2006; and $2.18 billion in investigative receivables, an increase of $578 million from FY 2006."

Editor and Publisher: "Yet it remains something newspapers are embracing as the 2008 presidential campaign hits its stride and the primaries loom. Campaign blogs were once left to partisans and non-journalists; now, along with the L.A. Times, at least five other daily papers have assigned to political blogs full-time reporters who post and edit items almost daily. Dozens of other newspapers have reporters posting regularly, on a part-time basis."

New York Times: Google Gets Ready to Rumble With Microsoft - "The growing confrontation between Google and Microsoft promises to be an epic business battle. It is likely to shape the prosperity and progress of both companies, and also inform how consumers and corporations work, shop, communicate and go about their digital lives. Google sees all of this happening on remote servers in faraway data centers, accessible over the Web by an array of wired and wireless devices — a setup known as cloud computing. Microsoft sees a Web future as well, but one whose center of gravity remains firmly tethered to its desktop PC software. Therein lies the conflict."

Press release: (Bali, 15 December 2007) – Climate Change Conference in Bali - "The Conference, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, took place at the Bali International Convention Centre and brought together more than 10,000 participants, including representatives of over 180 countries together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and the media. The two week period included the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, its subsidiary bodies as well as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. A ministerial segment in the second week concluded the Conference. The conference culminated in the adoption of the Bali roadmap, which charts the course for a new negotiating process to be concluded by 2009 that will ultimately lead to a post-2012 international agreement on climate change. Ground-breaking decisions were taken which form core elements of the roadmap. They include the launch of the Adaptation Fund as well as decisions on technology transfer and on reducing emissions from deforestation. These decisions represent various tracks that are essential to achieving a secure climate future." [Decisions adopted by COP 13 and CMP 3]

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom Fatalities As of December 14, 2007, 10 a.m. EST.

Via Wired: Top 10 Tips for New Bloggers From Original Blogger Jorn Barger: "Jorn Barger of Robot Wisdom coined the term "weblog" Dec. 17, 1997 -- 10 years ago Monday -- to describe the daily list of links that "logged" his travels across the web. In the decade hence, Barger feels that he's gained some wisdom of his own about blogging. Here's Barger's top 10 tips for novice bloggers..."

Ventry, Dennis J., Whistleblowers and Qui Tam for Tax. Tax Lawyer, Forthcoming Available via SSRN.

Follow up to December 13, 2007 posting Senator George J. Mitchell Releases Report on Major League Baseball Investigation, this news: "A free, searchable database of The Mitchell Report has been released by askSam Systems. The askSam database contains a full-text searchable archive of George J. Mitchell's report to the commissioner of baseball on the investigation into steroid and other performance enhancing substance use by players in Major League Baseball."

Press release: "This statement responds to the “Complaint Requesting Recusal of the Federal Trade Commission Chairman From the Pending Review of the Proposed Google-Doubleclick Merger” (“Petition”), which was filed with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) by Messrs. Rotenberg and Chester on December 12, 2007. After reviewing the relevant facts and consulting with the FTC’s Designated Agency Ethics Official, Deputy General Counsel Christian S. White, the General Counsel, my fellow Commissioners, and members of my staff, I have determined not to recuse myself from this matter because the relevant laws and rules, as detailed below, neither require nor support recusal."

Press release: "The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) issued guidance [December 12, 2007] for use by financial institutions in identifying the continuity planning that should be in place to minimize the potential adverse effects of a pandemic. This guidance expands upon the contents of the Interagency Advisory on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness issued in March 2006. Pandemic planning presents unique challenges to financial institutions. Unlike most natural or technical disasters and malicious acts, the impact of a pandemic is much more difficult to determine because of the anticipated difference in scale and duration. As a result of these differences, no individual or organization is safe from the potential adverse effects of a pandemic event. Experts believe the most significant challenge may be the severe staffing shortages that will likely result from a pandemic outbreak."

Press release: "As merchants get busier with holiday shopping, the Federal Trade Commission reminds them to be sure the credit and debit card receipts they give customers comply with federal law. To reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft, the electronically printed credit and debit card receipts given to consumers must not include more than the last five digits of the card number, and must not show the expiration date."

Consumer Information:

• Slip Showing? Federal Law Requires All Businesses to Truncate Credit Card Information on Receipts


• Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business


• Fighting Back Against Identity Theft
Permanent Link       Topic(s): E-Government, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

Press release: "Injury death rates nationally rose more than 5 percent after a two–decade period of decline, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report indicates the largest increases were seen in the 20–29 and 45–54 year age groups. The total injury mortality rate includes deaths from unintentional injury, suicides, homicides, and injuries of undetermined intent. If a death could not be definitively attributed to unintentional injury or suicide, it is considered to be of undetermined intent. Homicide rates remained stable throughout the 1999–2004 period, with unintentional poisonings accounting for more than half of the total increase in injury deaths."

Follow up to previous postings on judicial pay raises, today's Legal Times, 12-13-2007: "The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would give federal judges their first pay raise in two decades, pushing them to the fore of federal earners. The bill, passed by a 28-5 vote, also would increase the workload for senior judges, raise the retirement age for full pension and discourage retired judges from taking work in the private sector...Under the Federal Judicial Salary Restoration Act of 2007, federal district judges would earn $218,000 annually, uncoupling them from members of Congress, who make $165,200 a year. Federal appeals judges would earn $231,000; Supreme Court associate justices $267,900; and the chief justice $279,900."

Press release: "U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today said the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) she created to review potential solutions to the gridlock hampering New York-area airports has completed its work and submitted feedback on a range of congestion-fighting possibilities for the region...The ARC report submitted to the Secretary does not make recommendations, but rather provides a point – counterpoint on possible New York area solutions, ranging from congestion pricing and slot auctions, to schedule reductions and the appointment of an aviation czar."

Strategic Plan FY 2007-2012: "This strategic plan establishes our vision and seeks to provide a roadmap for OIG to provide a worthy return on the United States taxpayers' investment."

Press release: "The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) today released two independent assessments addressing areas critical to the overall success of the Yucca Mountain repository program. These assessments, which include an independent review of the OCRWM Quality Assurance (QA) Program and an independent review of its engineering processes and procedures, have concluded that the Yucca Mountain Project’s current QA and engineering processes and procedures are consistent with standard nuclear industry practices."

Long-Term Implications of Current Defense Plans: Summary Update for Fiscal Year 2008, December 2007: "The 2008 FYDP [Future Year's Defense Program ]reflects changes to the department’s programs and priorities between February 2006 and February 2007. The 2008 FYDP and CBO’s projections of its long-term implications both exclude potential future supplemental or emergency appropriations, although the President has indicated that at least $189 billion in such appropriations will be needed to pay for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other purposes related to the war on terrorism in fiscal year 2008."

DLA Piper press release: "Senator George J. Mitchell, the chairman of DLA Piper, today released the report of his independent investigation into the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by players in Major League Baseball. Senator Mitchell was named in March 2006 by the Commissioner of Baseball, Allan H. Selig, to conduct the investigation. He led a national team of lawyers from DLA Piper that included experienced investigators, former government prosecutors and agency enforcement professionals.

"Have you ever wanted to find more information on government spending? Have you ever wondered where federal contracting dollars and grant awards go? Or perhaps you would just like to know, as a citizen, what the government is really doing with your money. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act) requires a single searchable website, accessible by the public for free that includes for each Federal award:

• 1. The name of the entity receiving the award;


• 2. The amount of the award;


• 3. Information on the award including transaction type, funding agency, etc;


• 4. The location of the entity receiving the award;


• 5. A unique identifier of the entity receiving the award.

Nuclear Power in a Warming World - Findings and Recommendations in Brief: "Global warming demands a profound transformation in the ways we generate and consume energy. Because nuclear power results in few global warming emissions, an increase in nuclear power could help reduce global warming—but it could also increase the threats to human safety and security. The risks include a massive release of radiation due to a power plant meltdown or terrorist attack, and the death of hundreds of thousands due to the detonation of a nuclear weapon made with materials obtained from a civilian nuclear power system. Minimizing these risks is simply pragmatic: nothing will affect the public acceptability of nuclear power as much as a serious nuclear accident, a terrorist strike on a reactor or spent fuel pool, or the terrorist detonation of a nuclear weapon made from stolen nuclear reactor materials."

Press release: "Violent and property crime rates in United States urban and suburban communities remained stable between 2005 and 2006, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. Last year BJS introduced a new sample of households and adopted automated data collection procedures that limited comparisons to urban and suburban areas."

Fact Sheet: Select Department of Homeland Security 2007 Achievements, December 12, 2007: Protecting the Nation from Dangerous People

Press release: "Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been named 2007’s Lawyer of the Year by the ABA Journal, the flagship publication of the American Bar Association."

“The top legal story of 2007 was unquestionably the unraveling of support for the Bush administration’s expansive view of presidential power during wartime, and with it, the slow-motion destruction of Alberto Gonzales’ reign as U.S. attorney general,” according to the magazine’s January cover story. “Add to that the controversy over whether the administration fired eight U.S. attorneys for political reasons, and no single lawyer made more news in 2007 than Gonzales.”

Historical Effective Federal Tax Rates: 1979 to 2005, December 2007 and Supplemental Tables

Government Technology: "A new white paper designed to help public officials develop policies for removing Social Security numbers and other sensitive information from public documents is now available online. The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), in collaboration with the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (eC3), today released a joint white paper on redaction entitled Privacy, Public Access & Policymaking in State Redaction Practices. Developed with input from leading experts in government, academia and the private sector, the paper is the first national report specifically written for state and local leaders coping with data security issues in public records."

"For the past 16 months, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating allegations of political interference with government climate change science under the Bush Administration. During the course of this investigation, the Committee obtained over 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Commerce Department, held two investigative hearings, and deposed or interviewed key officials. Much of the information made available to the Committee has never been publicly disclosed. This report presents the findings of the Committee’s investigation. The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming."

U.S. Department of Justice Annual Financial Statement Fiscal Year 2007, Audit Report 08-01, December 2007 (Commentary and Summary Only)

Follow up to the GAO report, Digital Television Transition: Increased Federal Planning and Risk Management Could Further Facilitate the DTV Transition, GAO-08-43, November 19, 2007, the FCC Written Response to the GAO Report on DTV, December 11, 2007.

Press release: "The widespread use and availability of Social Security numbers puts Americans at risk for identity theft and should be restricted, according to Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. The group urged policymakers to take action to protect consumers as part of a public forum on the issue organized by the Federal Trade Commission in conjunction with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force. Social Security numbers are particularly sensitive information because they can provide the key to unlocking a consumer’s financial identity... Jeannine Kenney, Senior Policy Analyst with Consumers Union...presented findings of a Consumer Reports National Research Center poll at the FTC forum showing that 89 percent of Americans want state and federal lawmakers to restrict the use and availability of Social Security numbers by businesses and government agencies. The poll also found that nearly all consumers want the right to freeze access to their credit files to prevent new account fraud. Currently 39 states and the District of Columbia give consumers the right to a security freeze and the three major credit bureaus have made the freeze available to consumers in the remaining states."

Follow up to previous postings on sentencing guidelines, today's press release: "The United States Sentencing Commission unanimously voted today to give retroactive effect to a recent amendment to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that reduces penalties for crack cocaine offenses. Retroactivity of the crack cocaine amendment will become effective on March 3, 2008. Not every crack cocaine offender will be eligible for a lower sentence under the decision. A Federal sentencing judge will make the final determination of whether an offender is eligible for a lower sentence and how much that sentence should be lowered. That determination will be made only after consideration of many factors, including the Commission’s direction to consider whether lowering the offender’s sentence would pose a danger to public safety. In addition, the overall impact is anticipated to occur incrementally over approximately 30 years, due to the limited nature of the guideline amendment and the fact that many crack cocaine offenders will still be required under Federal law to serve mandatory five- or ten-year sentences because of the amount of crack involved in their offense."

Press release: "Vital government information appears “invisible” to millions of Americans who are combing the Internet and looking for answers via the most popular search engines, according to a report released today by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and OMB Watch. The report, Hiding in Plain Sight: Why Important Government Information Cannot Be Found through Commercial Search Engines, highlights the shortcomings some federal agencies exhibit when trying to comply with the mandates of the E-Government Act of 2002, a landmark law that promotes access to government information and services."

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has received a second set of records from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) detailing behind-the-scenes briefings for lawmakers working to make substantial changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). EFF requested release of the records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) earlier this year...Last month, a federal judge ordered ODNI to release all documents by December 10. The first batch of records, made public on November 30, detailed contentious negotiations between Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and members of Congress that resulted in the passage of the Protect America Act...The second set of records contains more correspondence between McConnell and members of Congress, as well as heavily redacted versions of classified testimony delivered to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and an FAQ detailing how the National Security Agency performs electronic surveillance. Withheld records include ODNI presentation slides used to brief Congress on foreign intelligence issues, and other classified documents."

Fact Sheet: "U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab, together with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, convened today the 18th U.S.–China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Beijing, China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also participated. The JCCT, a high-level government-to-government dialogue, seeks to address market access issues and provide a forum to discuss trade and investment matters."

"The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative today presented to Congress the statutorily-mandated annual report on China’s compliance with its World Trade Organization accession obligations. The report highlights the status of China's ongoing efforts in such areas as intellectual property rights, industrial policy, agriculture, and services."

"This edition of eJournal USA presents an introduction to the upcoming 2008 U.S. elections. In these elections, U.S. voters will have the opportunity to vote for president and vice president, congressional representatives, state and local officials, and ballot initiatives. The journal describes aspects of this election which make it different from most recent elections and includes a pro-con debate of the Electoral College."

Annual Performance Plan Fiscal Year 2008 From the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (PDF, 101 pages)

Acceptance Speech, Doris Lessing, Nobel Prize in Literature 2007, December 7, 2007: "...We are in a fragmenting culture, where our certainties of even a few decades ago are questioned and where it is common for young men and women who have had years of education, to know nothing about the world, to have read nothing, knowing only some speciality or other, for instance, computers. What has happened to us is an amazing invention, computers and the internet and TV, a revolution. This is not the first revolution we, the human race, has dealt with. The printing revolution, which did not take place in a matter of a few decades, but took much longer, changed our minds and ways of thinking. A foolhardy lot, we accepted it all, as we always do, never asked "What is going to happen to us now, with this invention of print?" And just as we never once stopped to ask, How are we, our minds, going to change with the new internet, which has seduced a whole generation into its inanities so that even quite reasonable people will confess that once they are hooked, it is hard to cut free, and they may find a whole day has passed in blogging and blugging etc."

"This week the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a number of online safety bills that pose significant risks for free speech and innovation on the Internet. No less than seven bills relating to online safety are in play in Congress this week; CDT today released an analysis of each. CDT supports S. 2344, which promote online safety education, and H.R. 719, which focuses Internet restrictions on sex offenders who might pose risks to children online. CDT strongly opposes all or portions of five other bills now pending in the Senate."

Press release: "A new study released today by the Newspaper National Network LP reports that Newspaper Website Users are 52% more likely to be “Influencers,” based on the MRI definition, as compared with Newspaper Website Non-Users. Study findings highlight the power Newspaper Website Users have to shape opinions about new products, technologies, and issues. Adults who use Newspaper Websites and read printed newspapers influence 18 people, on average, weekly 38% more than the web user who does not use a newspaper website (13 people average per week). Immediate family, friends and co-workers are core beneficiaries within their influence circle."

Press release: "Section 214(e) of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act requires the Federal Trade Commission, the federal banking agencies, and the National Credit Union Administration to “jointly conduct regular studies of the consumer information sharing practices by financial institutions and other persons that are creditors or users of consumer reports with their affiliates.” The Federal Register notice, which will be published today and is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, will enable the FTC staff and the staff of the other agencies to conduct the survey."

Via Scotusblog: "The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the federal guidelines on sentencing for cocaine violations are advisory only, rejecting a lower court ruling that they are effectively mandatory. Judges must consider the Guideline range for a cocaine violation, the Court said, but may conclude that they are too harsh when considering the disparity between punishment for crack cocaine and cocaine in powder form. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the decision in Kimbrough v. U.S. (06-6330).... Ruling in a second Guidelines case, Gall v. U.S. (06-7949), the Court — also by a 7-2 vote — cleared the way for judges to impose sentences below the specified range and still have such punishment regarded as “reasonable.” The Justices, in an opinion written by Justice John Paul Stevens, told federal appeals courts to use a “deferential abuse-of-discretion standard” even when a trial sets sets a punishment below the range. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., announced the opinion in Stevens’ absence."

HHS OIG, Advisory Opinion 07-15 (concerning the use of a “preferred hospital” network as part of a Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance (“Medigap”) policy), posted December 10, 2007.

Press release: "The Department of Defense today released key findings from this year’s Military Service Academy Assessment report. The report is the first such assessment to combine an evaluation of the academies’ new sexual assault prevention and response programs, an evaluation of sexual harassment programs, and feedback from cadet and midshipmen focus groups. DoD officials met with academy personnel, reviewed academy policies and procedures, conducted an extensive data-call for reports and investigative files, and held focus groups with cadets and midshipmen. Based on information obtained during site visits, DoD found that the academies’ programs fulfilled the requirements of existing DoD policies and directives."

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee: "For the past 16 months, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating allegations of political interference with government climate change science under the Bush Administration. During the course of this investigation, the Committee obtained over 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Commerce Department, held two investigative hearings, and deposed or interviewed key officials. Much of the information made available to the Committee has never been publicly disclosed. This report presents the findings of the Committee’s investigation. The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming."

The Nobel Lecture given by The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2007, Al Gore (Oslo, December 10, 2007): "...In the last few months, it has been harder and harder to misinterpret the signs that our world is spinning out of kilter. Major cities in North and South America, Asia and Australia are nearly out of water due to massive droughts and melting glaciers. Desperate farmers are losing their livelihoods. Peoples in the frozen Arctic and on low-lying Pacific islands are planning evacuations of places they have long called home. Unprecedented wildfires have forced a half million people from their homes in one country and caused a national emergency that almost brought down the government in another. Climate refugees have migrated into areas already inhabited by people with different cultures, religions, and traditions, increasing the potential for conflict. Stronger storms in the Pacific and Atlantic have threatened whole cities. Millions have been displaced by massive flooding in South Asia, Mexico, and 18 countries in Africa. As temperature extremes have increased, tens of thousands have lost their lives. We are recklessly burning and clearing our forests and driving more and more species into extinction. The very web of life on which we depend is being ripped and frayed...."

Trafficking in human beings: Internet recruitment. Misuse of the Internet for the recruitment of victims of trafficking in human beings, prepared by Athanassia P. Sykiotou, Lecturer in Criminology, Faculty of Law, Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs Council of Europe 2007. (150 pages, PDF)

Via OpenCRS - CRS Report, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): Issues for Congress, December 5, 2007 (27 pages, PDF).

Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote?, by Paul Taylor and Richard Fry, Pew Hispanic Center, December 6, 2007: "After spending the first part of this decade loosening their historic ties to the Democratic Party, Hispanic voters have reversed course in the past year, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found. Some 57% of Hispanic registered voters now call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while just 23% align with the Republican Party – meaning there is now a 34 percentage point gap in partisan affiliation among Latinos. In July, 2006, the same gap was just 21 percentage points – whereas back in 1999, it had been 33 percentage points."

Press release: "Political campaign spending on advertising media and marketing services is expected to rocket to an all-time high of $4.50 billion in the 2008 election cycle, as an acrimonious political environment, record fundraising and the high number of presidential candidates are driving an unprecedented media spending splurge, according to a preliminary forecast analysis released today by PQ Media, the world's leading provider of custom media econometrics."

Role of Health Insurance Coverage in Women's Access to Prescription Medicines: "This article presents findings from the 2004 Kaiser Women's Health Survey examining how health insurance coverage affects access to prescription medicines for non-elderly women. Results from the nationally representative telephone survey indicate that a lack of health insurance coverage is significantly associated with experiencing cost barriers to prescription medications, regardless of income level. These findings underscore the important role that insurance coverage plays in protecting women from out-of-pocket costs and for accessing prescription medicines....It was published in the journal Women's Health Issues.

Follow up to Conyers, House Judiciary Members Question CIA, DOJ on Destroyed Interrogation Tapes, from the New York Times: Inquiry Begins Into Tapes’ Destruction: "The Justice Department and the Central Intelligence Agency’s internal watchdog on Saturday began a joint preliminary inquiry into the spy agency’s destruction of hundreds of hours of videotapes showing interrogations of top operatives of Al Qaeda. The announcement comes amid new questions about which officials inside the C.I.A. were involved in the decision to destroy the videotapes, which showed severe interrogation methods used on two Qaeda suspects, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. The agency operative who ordered the destruction of the tapes in November 2005 was Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., then the chief of the C.I.A.’s national clandestine service, known as the Directorate of Operations until 2005. On Saturday, a government official who had spoken recently with Mr. Rodriguez on the matter said that Mr. Rodriguez told him that he had received approval from lawyers inside the clandestine service to destroy the tapes."

"Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-TX, of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on the successful filing of the House-Senate conference report of H.R. 2082, the fiscal year 2008 Intelligence Authorization Act, clearing the bill for consideration on the floor of the U.S. House: “This isstrong legislation that provides full funding for our intelligence professionals,” said Chairman Reyes. “It makes critical investments in human intelligence, counterterrorism operations, counterproliferation, analysis, and language skills. It promotes sound personnel practices, diversity within the intelligence community and accountability to Congress. This conference report deserves bipartisan support and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support it.”

Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2082 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

• Meeting Time: 5:00pm Tuesday 12/11


• Legislative Text


• Joint Explanatory Statement


• Signature Sheet

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: "In August 2007, there were 62 federal prosecutions of child pornography, according to timely enforcement data from the Justice Department. Though unchanged from the previous month, filings in this category are down by about half (49.7%) from the previous year, and down 20% from five years ago. These declines follow a period of rapid growth for federal child pornography prosecutions which began after President Bush took office. For reports on the latest enforcement trends," see the following links:

Follow up to previous postings on Blackwater, this press release from Committee on Oversight: "State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard announced his resignation today. In response to the announcement, Chairman Waxman released the following statement: “Mr. Krongard’s decision removes an enormous distraction from the Inspector General’s office and will allow the office to focus on its important oversight responsibilities. The Committee will certainly take this new development into account.”

Treasury Economic Update 12/7/2007: "Today's data indicate that the labor market remains healthy, with a low unemployment rate and continued job growth. We expect the economic expansion to continue even with the challenges we face in the housing and credit markets." - Assistant Secretary Phillip Swagel, December 7, 2007

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that their teams of officers who track down criminal aliens and immigration fugitives arrested almost twice as many in fiscal year 2007 than in the previous year. For the first time since records have been kept, the nation's fugitive alien population is on the decline.

In the last fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30, ICE Fugitive Operations Teams arrested 30,408 individuals - up from 15,462 arrests made in FY 2006. One of the reasons for the increase in arrests is the deployment of dozens more teams across the country. ICE met its goal of deploying 75 teams by the end of FY 2007; up from 52 active teams in FY2006."

Follow up to November 12, 2007 posting, U.S. Sentencing Commission Received 33,000 Letters on Retroactivity, news today that "[t]he U.S. Sentencing Commission, which in November 2007 issued new guidelines for convictions involving crack cocaine, is considering making those guidelines retroactive. The Commission estimates that 19,500 current federal prison inmates would be eligible for a reduced sentence, by an average of 27 months, if the guidelines were made retroactive."

Follow up to December 6, 2007 posting, Report: CIA Destroyed Videos of Interrogations, this press release: "Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Reps. Robert Scott, William Delahunt and Jerrold Nadler sent letters to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Gen. Michael Hayden and Attorney General Michael Mukasey requesting details about today's reports that the CIA destroyed videotapes of interrogation activities. In particular, the members ask whether the Justice Department knew about the tapes and their destruction and whether Justice will now investigate the matter. The letters are linked...below."

"The Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative (ICI) seeks to inform and help shape relevant USG policy and programs by incorporating the theory and history of counters to organized movements that use subversion or violence rather than established political processes to undermine or overthrow governments, with the goal of focusing appropriate elements of diplomacy, defense, and development on the alleviation of such threats."

A Report of the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery (CA ACTS) Task Force

How the World Rates Women as Leaders by Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Research Associate, Pew Global Attitudes Project, December 5, 2007: "On December 10, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will be inaugurated as Argentina's first female president. The senator and first lady will join 11 other women who currently serve as their countries' presidents or prime ministers, including Michelle Bachelet in neighboring Chile. But while women worldwide are making gains in all levels of government, the most recent Pew Global Attitudes survey of 46 countries and the Palestinian territories finds that publics around the world express mixed opinions about women and political leadership."

New York Times: "The Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody, a step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about its secret detention program, according to current and former government officials...The destruction of the tapes raises questions about whether agency officials withheld information from Congress, the courts and the Sept. 11 commission about aspects of the program."

European Commission: A Handbook for Citizen-centric eGovernment - "Issued by the cc:eGov project, this Handbook provides an in-depth analysis of what citizen-centric government services should strive for. It gives recommendations on access to these services, offers front- and back-office solutions and emphasizes the importance of relationship building between those delivering and those receiving the services. The handbook also includes a number of interviews carried out with various national administrations serving as useful examples to learn from."

D-2008-026 Management of the Iraq Security Forces Fund in Southwest Asia - Phase III, November 30, 2007 (Project No. D2007-D000LQ-0141.000), released December 6, 2007.

Via Jacques Beglinger: The following texts are now online:

Press release: "The U.S. adult correctional population — incarcerated or in the community — reached 7.2 million men and women, an increase of 159,500 during the year, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today in a new report. About 3.2 percent of the U.S. adult population, or 1 in every 31 adults, was in the nation’s prison or jails or on probation or parole at the end of 2006....The two reports, Prisoners in 2006 (NCJ-219416), and Probation and Parole in the United States, 2006 (NCJ-220218), were written by BJS statisticians Heather Couture, Paige M. Harrison and William J. Sabol and Thomas P. Bonczar and Lauren E. Glaze respectively."

White House Fact Sheet: Helping American Families Keep Their Homes, December 6, 2007 - "President Bush outlined steps the Administration is taking to help American homeowners and called on Congress to join him in delivering relief to homeowners in need."

Press release: "A report released today by the Washington, DC-based National Environmental Trust demonstrates that many U.S. states individually emit more greenhouse gases than hundreds of developing nations combined. The report, Taking Responsibility: Why the United States Must Lead the World in Reducing Global Warming Pollution (99 pages, PDF) compares annual state emissions data to that of developing and developed nations, graphically illustrating the scope of individual U.S. states' contribution to global warming."

Related reports and links:

• State Department website on Climate Change and Clean Energy


• CRS Report - Climate Change: Issues Underlying Negotiations at the Bali Conference of Parties, November 27, 2007


• CRS Report - Climate Change: Science Update 2007, November 26, 2007


• The National Foreign Trade Council, WTO-Compatibility of Four Categories of U.S. Climate Change Policy


• beSpacific postings on climate change

EIA Country Analysis Briefs: Azerbaijan - "Since becoming independent in 1991, Azerbaijan has attracted significant international interest in its oil and natural gas reserves. Foreign investors are helping the country develop its rich oil and natural gas reserves in the Caspian Sea basin, making Azerbaijan to an important energy exporter over the next decade."

Oil and Natural Gas Market Supply and Renewable Portfolio Standard Impacts of Selected Provisions of H.R. 3221: "This paper responds to an October 31, 2007, request from Representatives Barton, McCrery, and Young requesting the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to assess selected provisions of H.R. 3221, the energy bill adopted by the House of Representatives in early August 2007. The analysis focuses on Title VII, dealing with energy on Federal lands; Section 9611, which would establish a Federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for certain electricity sellers; and Section 13001, which would eliminate the eligibility of oil and natural gas producers and refiners to claim deductions under Section 199 of the Internal Revenue Code."

"The Office of Personnel Management has posted draft 2008 salary tables on its website, based on the presumption that federal employees will receive a 3 percent raise next year. The tables are premised on a 2.5 percent across-the-board base pay increase and a 0.5 percent locality based adjustment."

Press release: "The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)...issued an extensive fact sheet on the application of federal anti-discrimination laws to employer tests and other selection procedures to screen applicants for hire and employees for promotion...The fact sheet describes common types of employer administered tests and selection procedures used in the 21st century workplace, including cognitive tests, personality tests, medical examinations, credit checks, and criminal background checks. The document also focuses on “best practices” for employers to follow when using employment tests and other screening devices, and cites recent EEOC enforcement actions. Discriminatory employment tests and selection procedures are prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act -- which are all enforced by the EEOC."

DOE OIG Audit Report, Contract Transition Activities at the Nevada Test Site, November 2007.

Press release: "The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, today released the results of their testing of 1,200 popular children's toys for toxic chemicals at www.HealthyToys.org. Working with environmental health groups across the country, the Ecology Center led the development of the site to inform consumers about products they will be purchasing this holiday season. Parents and other holiday shoppers can now easily search by product name, brand, or toy type to learn how the products rate in terms of harmful chemical content."

Press release: "In an effort to strengthen laws protecting creative and intellectual property, leaders of the House Judiciary Committee today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal agency enforcement efforts and provide more resources to those efforts. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX), Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), and Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ric Keller (R-FL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced the "Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (“PRO IP”) Act of 2007" to combat what they say is an increasing problem...The bipartisan PRO IP bill is supported by both labor unions and industry groups because of the increasing global economic cost of counterfeiting and piracy - which is currently between $500 and $600 billion/year in lost sales and approximately 5% - 7% of global trade. It costs the United States between $200 and $250 billion/year in lost sales, including 750,000 jobs."

"On Wednesday December 5th the [House Oversight and Government Reform] Committee held a hearing to examine the role played by compensation consultants in determining the pay packages of senior executives at the largest publicly traded corporations. Corporate governance experts, institutional investors, and compensation consulting firms testified regarding the role of consultants in setting executive pay, efforts to prevent and manage conflicts of interest, and the adequacy of the information available to shareholders and the public. During the hearing, Chairman Waxman released a report regarding conflicts of interest at executive compensation firms."

Via Dan Froomkin, news that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has begun to post preliminary transcripts of selected hearings on its website. However, links to these transcripts is currently circuitously provided by conducting a search on Google, documented here by Dan.

Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress, Updated November 15, 2007. "Cybercrime is becoming more organized and established as a transnational business. High technology online skills are now available for rent to a variety of customers, possibly including nation states, or individuals and groups that could
secretly represent terrorist groups. The increased use of automated attack tools by cybercriminals has overwhelmed some current methodologies used for tracking Internet cyberattacks, and vulnerabilities of the U.S. critical infrastructure, which are acknowledged openly in publications, could possibly attract cyberattacks to extort money, or damage the U.S. economy to affect national security...This report discusses options now open to nation states, extremists, or terrorist groups for obtaining malicious technical services from cybercriminals to meet political or military objectives, and describes the possible effects of a coordinated cyberattack against the U.S. critical infrastructure."

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Economic and Employment Projections, December 4, 2007 - "Projections of industry and occupational employment, labor force, and
economic growth covering the 2006-16 decade were released today by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor. The 10-year projections are widely used in career guidance, in education and training program planning, and in studying long-range employment trends. The projections, which are updated every 2 years, continue a 60-year tradition of providing information to individuals who are making education and training choices, entering the job market, or changing careers."

"Protecting the personal information of customers, clients, and employees is good business. The Federal Trade Commission has a new online tutorial to alert businesses and other organizations to practical and low- or no-cost ways to keep data secure. The tutorial, “Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business,” at www.ftc.gov/infosecurity, takes a plain-language, interactive approach to the security of sensitive information. Although the specifics depend on the type of company and the kind of information it keeps, the basic principles are the same: any business or office that keeps personal information needs to take stock, scale down, lock it, pitch it, and plan ahead. The tutorial explains each of these principles, and includes checklists of steps to take to improve data security."

Press release: "Governor Crist...announced two new open government initiatives that will improve Floridians’ ability to access public documents and meetings. The first initiative involves a Bill of Rights for all Floridians trying to access public records. The list of rights was compiled by the Commission on Open Government, established by the Governor on June 19, 2007, by Executive Order 07-107. The second initiative involves improving Internet access to state agency contact information...Governor Crist established the Office of Open Government and charged it with providing the Governor’s Office and all state agencies the tools necessary to serve the people of Florida in a professional and efficient manner. The executive order also instituted the Plain Language Initiative to ensure all announcements, publications and other documents sent by the Governor’s Office or state agencies contained clear and concise instructions and information. For a list of all state agency open government websites, please visit http://www.flgov.com/og_agency_ogpages."

Press release: "A coalition of environmental groups, states and regional governments filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today urging the agency to address the effects of vast amounts of global warming pollution from the world's aircraft fleet. The petitions are the first step in a process that requires the EPA to evaluate the current impacts of aircraft emissions, seek public comment and develop rules to reduce aircraft emissions or explain why it will not act. Earthjustice filed the environmental groups' petition on behalf of Friends of the Earth, Oceana and the Center for Biological Diversity. Also filing petitions today are the States of California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Mexico and the District of Columbia through their Attorneys General, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through its Department of Environmental Protection, the City of New York through its Corporation Counsel, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District through its District Counsel."

Press release: "Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) Tuesday introduced bipartisan, revised legislation to increase government transparency and provide the first major reforms to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in more than a decade. The Senate passed an earlier version of the Leahy-Cornyn bill -- the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act -- and the House has passed a counterpart measure, but efforts to reconcile the two bills were stymied over House concerns about “pay-go” issues...The OPEN Government Act would:

• Restore meaningful deadlines for agency action under FOIA;


• Impose real consequences on federal agencies for missing FOIA’s 20-day statutory deadline;


• Clarify that FOIA applies to government records held by outside private contractors;


• Establish a FOIA hotline service for all federal agencies;
• and Create a FOIA Ombudsman to provide FOIA requestors and federal agencies with a meaningful alternative to costly litigation.


• Related postings on FOIA

Global climate change, war, and population decline in recent human history, Global climate change, war, and population decline in recent human history, David D. Zhang, Peter Brecke, Harry F. Lee, Yuan-Qing He, and Jane Zhang. Published online before print November 28, 2007, 10.1073/pnas.0703073104 - PNAS | December 4, 2007 | vol. 104 | no. 49 | 19214-19219.

"On 1 January 2008, the multilateral trading system will celebrate its 60th anniversary. This year's World Trade Report celebrates this landmark anniversary with an in-depth look at the GATT and its successor the World Trade Organization — their origins, achievements, the challenges they have faced, and what the future holds. The story is one of remarkable change and adaptation, of a system that has contributed significantly to post-war prosperity, but which has not delivered all it could and which still faces formidable challenges."

"On 1 January 2008, the multilateral trading system will celebrate its 60th anniversary. This year's World Trade Report celebrates this landmark anniversary with an in-depth look at the GATT and its successor the World Trade Organization — their origins, achievements, the challenges they have faced, and what the future holds. The story is one of remarkable change and adaptation, of a system that has contributed significantly to post-war prosperity, but which has not delivered all it could and which still faces formidable challenges."

"The Treasury Department today released U.S. reserve assets data for the latest week. As indicated in this table, U.S. reserve assets totaled $70,945 million as of the end of that week, compared to $71,718 million as of the end of the prior week."

"The FOIA Reading Room contains frequently requested documents as well as EAC statements, correspondence, and administrative policies."

Provisional Voting Research Project: "In October 2006, the EAC adopted a set of best practices regarding provisional voting. The best practices document was based on research provided by the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University. The EAC best practices document and the research are available below. Please note that some of these files are large and may take a few minutes to download."

• EAC Best Practices on Provisional Voting


• Report to the EAC on Best Practices to Improve Provisional Voting
  
  • Appendix A: A National Survey of Local Election Officials' Experiences with Provisional Voting
  
  
  • Appendix B: Relationship Between Time Allotted to Verify Provisional Ballots and the Level of Ballots that are Verified
  
  
  • Appendix C: Provisional Ballot Litigation by Issue
  
  
  • Appendix D: Provisional Ballot Litigation by State
  
  
  • Appendix E: State Summaries
  
  
  • Appendix F: Provisional Voting Statutes by State
  
  
  Permanent Link       Topic(s): E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

Legislative Text of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Substitution Act of 2007, S. 2402, introduced by Arlen Specter, December 3, 2007.

Press release: "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) remind the traveling public that as of Jan. 31, 2008, all adult travelers will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, and proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. DHS will be issuing a notice in the Federal Register formally announcing the change...Specific documentation requirements for land, sea and air travel may be found at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/. To learn more about NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/."

Press release: "The nation's food supply is at risk, as are the regulatory systems that oversee the nation's drug and device supplies, according to a subcommittee of the FDA's Science Board in a report...presented today. The subcommittee attributes the deficiencies to soaring demands on the FDA; and resources that have not increased in proportion to those demands. They conclude that "this imbalance is imposing a significant risk to the integrity of the food, drug, cosmetic and device regulatory system, and hence the safety of the public."

DOJ OIG Semiannual Report to Congress, April 1, 2007-September 30, 2007 [PDF or HTML]

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: "White House objections are preventing Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald from providing the Oversight Committee with records from interviews of White House officials taken during his investigation into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson’s identity."

Documents and Links

"Nearly one in five U.S. adults – more than 40 million people – report they do not have adequate access to the health care they need, according to the annual report on the nation’s health released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, Health, United States, 2007, is a compilation of more than 150 health tables prepared by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The report also contains a special section focusing on access to care, which shows that nearly 20 percent of adults reported that they needed and did not receive one or more of these services in the past year – medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, or eyeglasses – because they could not afford them."

Office of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Intelligence Estimate Key Judgments: Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities, November 2007 (9 pages, PDF).

The Looming Infrastructure Plateau? Space, Funding, Connection Speed, and the Ability of Public Libraries to meet the Demand for Free Internet Access [First Monday], December 2007.

U.S. Portfolio Holdings of Foreign Securities at End-year 2006 (168 pages, PDF). This final report presents the findings of the annual survey as of December 31, 2006. There is a Press Release dated 11/30/2007.

"Latest edition, Our Flag (109th Congress, 2nd Session, 56 pages, PDF). This Congressional publication briefly describes the history of the flag, and sets forth the practices and observances appropriate to its display."

"A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It provides the most current detailed statistical information to inform the Nation on the nature of crime in schools. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources--the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the School Survey on Crime and Safety and the School and Staffing Survey. Data on crime away from school are also presented to place school crime in the context of crime in the larger society."

Am Law 200 Managing Partners Issue Fog Advisory for 2008, David Bario, The American Lawyer, 12-03-2007 [note: free registration required to read the links that follow): "Each fall, when this magazine surveys the leaders of The Am Law 200 about the state of their firms, the responses are awash in sunny optimism -- at least, they have been until now. This year, for the first time since we began polling them in 2003, a substantial number of firm leaders admit to being uneasy about the future. More than a quarter reported that they were uncertain about their firm's prospects next year, and a few said they felt downright pessimistic."

IRS Fall 2007 Statistics of Income Bulletin: "Seven articles from the fall 2007 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin (IRS Publication 1136) are now available. The articles present individual income tax data for Tax Year 2005; partnership data for Tax Year 2005; tax-exempt governmental and private activity bond data for Calendar Year 2005; private foundation and charitable trust data for Tax Year 2004; nonprofit charitable organization data for Tax Year 2004; and corporate foreign tax credit data for Tax Year 2003. Also included in this issue of the Bulletin is an article that describes the availability and expansion of SOI's published corporate data between 1917 and today and presents selected corporate data highlights within a historical context."

Press release: "World Economic Forum today announced 39 visionary companies selected as Technology Pioneers 2008. The companies’ products and services include identity management on the Internet, understanding of individuals’ genetic information, robotic radiosurgery, pollution control materials, low-cost remote diagnosis solutions, virtual interface technologies, wiki-based projects and next generation business intelligence solutions. Twenty-three of the Technology Pioneers 2008 are US-based companies. Israel and the United Kingdom each boast three; Sweden and Switzerland two each; Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands and Russia, one each. Technology Pioneers are nominated in three main categories: Energy/Environment, Biotechnology/Health and Information Technology.

A CBO Paper: Modernizing the Army's Rotary-Wing Aviation Fleet, November 2007 (39 pages, PDF).

Press release: "Violent and property crime rates at the nation’s schools during 2005 –– 57 such crimes per 1,000 students age 12 or older –– were statistically unchanged from the 2004 rate of 55 victimizations per 1,000 students, according to a new report by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. The crimes measured are rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault and theft."

• Related: Effects on Violence of Laws and Policies Facilitating the Transfer of Youth from the Juvenile to the Adult Justice System - A Report on Recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 30, 2007 / 56(RR09);1-11

The website GovernmentAttic.org has posted a complete index of DOJ Legal Counsel Opinions from 1998 through the present here.

Project for Excellence in Journalism: "After four years of war in Iraq, the journalists reporting from that country give their coverage a mixed but generally positive assessment, but they believe they have done a better job of covering the American military and the insurgency than they have the lives of ordinary Iraqis. And they do not believe the coverage of Iraq over time has been too negative. If anything, many believe the situation over the course of the war has been worse than the American public has perceived, according to a new survey of journalists covering the war from Iraq."

Bureau of Justice Statistics: "Presents findings on the pretrial release phase of the criminal justice process using data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in the 75 largest U.S. counties in May during even-numbered years from 1990 to 2004. It includes trends on pretrial release rates and the types of release used. Pretrial release rates are compared by arrest offense, demographic characteristics, and criminal history. Characteristics of released and detained defendants are also presented. Rates of pretrial misconduct including failure to appear and rearrest are presented by type of release, demographic characteristics, and criminal history."

Library of Congress: The period for public comment on the report is open until December 15, 2007. Comments can be submitted via the Web site at http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/contact/. Electronic submission of comments is encouraged.

Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, at the Washington Foreign Press Center Briefing on "Arab Americans and the Middle East Policy in the 2008 U.S. Elections," Thursday, November 29, 2007 - Transcript.

GPO Access: "Named after Senate Parliamentarian Emeritus Floyd M. Riddick, this Senate document contains the contemporary precedents and practices of the Senate. An appendix contains suggested forms for various procedures, e.g., offering motions or filing conference reports. It is updated periodically by the Senate Parliamentarian. More than one thousand precedents have been researched, analyzed, and incorporated into the 1958 edition. The 1992 editon contains all current precedents, and related Standing Rules and statutory provisions, through the end of the 101st Congress (1989-1990)."

Awareness of Security Freeze Legislation and Use of Security Freezes by Consumers Age 18+ Research Report, Jennifer H. Sauer, M.A., AARP Knowledge Management, Neal Walters, AARP Public Policy Institute, November 2007