Author archives

DOE Report: Short-Term Energy Outlook July 2007

Short-Term Energy Outlook July 2007 (07/10/2007) – “Quarterly short-term energy projections for supply, demand, and price for the major fuels through 2008 for the U.S. International oil forecasts are included.” Annual Oil Market Chronology 2006 (07/09/2007) – “For information about the latest developments in world oil markets, please see the updated Annual Oil Market Chronology. …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

USGS Report Identifies Asbestos Localities in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S.

“A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contains a regional map and associated database that inventory 61 locations of reported natural asbestos and fibrous amphibole occurrences in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States, including the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The map is based on a search …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research

Problems With FBI Use of NSL Revealed in New FOI Document Release

EFF press release: “…The FBI’s use of NSLs was expanded under the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001, allowing federal agents to gather private records about anyone’s domestic phone calls, emails, and financial transactions without any court approval — as long as an FBI agent claims that the information could be related to a terrorism or …

Subjects: Courts, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

"I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy

“In this short essay, written for a symposium in the San Diego Law Review, Professor Daniel Solove examines the “nothing to hide” argument. When asked about government surveillance and data mining, many people respond by declaring: “I’ve got nothing to hide.” According to the “nothing to hide” argument, there is no threat to privacy unless …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Privacy

NYC "Ring Of Steel" Surveillance Plan Raises Major Privacy Concerns

Press release: “The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on the City of New York to ensure that any new surveillance plan for New York City is subject to public input and external oversight mechanisms and includes significant privacy protections to prevent abuse. The NYCLU’s call came in response to today’s disclosure that the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Privacy

DOD OIG Post-Payment Review and Analysis of Procurement

D-2007-110 Identification and Reporting of Improper Payments through Recovery Auditing (July 9, 2007) (Project D2006-D000FJ-0156.001) PDF and Summary. “Recovery auditing is a post-payment review and analysis of procurement and payment documents that DoD Components use to identify overpayments to contractors. For FY 2006 DoD reported it successfully used recovery audits to identify nearly $200 million …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Google Purchases Online Security Firm Postini

Press release: “Google Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Postini, a global leader in on-demand communications security and compliance solutions serving more than 35,000 businesses and 10 million users worldwide. Postini’s services — which include message security, archiving, encryption, and policy enforcement — can be used to protect a …

Subjects: Cybercrime, E-Mail, ID Theft, Privacy

GAO Report Released Today Critical of National Weather Service Operations Prototype

Weather Forecasting: National Weather Service’s Operations Prototype Needs More Rigorous Planning. GAO-07-650, June 8, 2007. “Using advanced systems and trained specialists located in 122 weather forecast offices throughout the country, the National Weather Service (NWS) provides storm and flood warnings and weather forecasts to protect life and property and to enhance the national economy. To …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

MotherJones Examines Role of Web 2.0 in Political Campaigns

“Open-source politics is the idea that social networking and participatory technologies will revolutionize our ability to follow, support, and influence political campaigns. Forget party bosses in smoky backrooms—netroots evangelists and web consultants predict a wave of popular democracy as fundraisers meet on MySpace, YouTubers crank out attack ads, bloggers do oppo research, and cell-phone-activated flash …

Subjects: Blogs, Internet, Knowledge Management

Recent CRS Reports on Iran, Iraq , India, Pakistan, Trafficking in Persons

Potential F-22 Raptor Export to Japan, Updated July 2, 2007 Iraq: Government Formation and Benchmarks, Updated June 27, 2007 Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, Updated June 27, 2007 Iraq: Oil and Gas Legislation, Revenue Sharing, and U.S. Policy, June 26, 2007 India-U.S.Relations, Updated June 26, 2007 Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents

Vacancy Report Finds Homeland Security and Continuity of Government at Risk

Press release: “Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, identified in a staff report that nearly one quarter of the senior leadership positions located in the Department of Homeland Security are vacant. The overall senior leadership vacancies, termed “executive resources,” total 24%, and refer to positions in the highest …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Government Documents