Endeavour Launches into Space

Space shuttle Endeavour took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, last night with seven astronauts on board (view the NASA press release here). Thus began a 16-day mission that includes delivering components to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Kibo laboratory at the International Space Station. This was NASA's sixth attempt to launch the aircraft (see this CBS News article for a description of the failed fifth launch attempt).

NASA's website provides a mission summary of space shuttle Endeavour as well as a photo gallery. You can even learn about a space shuttle's structure on this web page.

Can't find what you need on the NASA website? Take a look at our guide to Space & Astronomy.

Taylor at Hague for War Crimes Trial

As the first witness Tuesday in his own trial, former Liberian President Charles Taylor denied all war crimes charged against himself. Taylor is being tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for atrocities committed by rebels under his control during Sierra Leone's civil war.

Check out the New York Times for an article about the trial or see the Special Court's web page devoted to the Taylor case, where you can find a timeline of events, links to the indictment, and streaming video of the trial. The website also contains links to various documents associated with the Special Court.

For more resources, see our guide to Human Rights or read a profile of Sierra Leone linked to our country guide.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us reports on emergency alerts, energy efficiency, North Korea's second nuclear test, and other topics. Although these reports are in the public domain, there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your senator or representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues
• Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• The Army's M-4 Carbine: Background and Issues for Congress
  
• Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
  
• Economic Development Assistance for Communities Affected by Employment Changes Due to Military Base Closures (BRAC)
• The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings
  
• Emergency Communications: The Future of 911
• Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Critical Barriers and Congressional Policy
  
• Estimates of Carbon Mitigation Potential from Agricultural and Forestry Activities
  
• Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs
• FY2009 Spring Supplemental Appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations
• Haiti: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns
  
• House Resolutions of Inquiry
  
• Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice
  
• Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and American Interests
• Iran's Economic Conditions: U.S. Policy Issues
• Iraq: U.S. Casualties
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program: An Overview
  
• Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress
• Mongolia and U.S. Policy: Political and Economic Relations
• Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport, Background and Issues for Congress
  
• North Korea’s Second Nuclear Test: Implications of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874
• Peacekeeping/Stabilization and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on the Civilian Response/Reserve Corps and other Civilian Stabilization and Reconstruction Capabilities
• Potential Farm Sector Effects of 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu
  
• The Proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications
  
• Sensitive Covert Action Notifications: Oversight Options for Congress
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program
  
• Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Has It Been Utilized?
  
• Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars, FY2001-FY2012: Cost and Other Potential Issues
• Tunisia: Current Issues
  
• U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea: Living Resources Provisions
  
• U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority
  

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports dating back to 1916.

Not on campus but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

New Report Released on President's Surveillance Program

On Friday the U.S. intelligence community released its review of the President's Surveillance Program (PSP)--President Bush's post-9/11 authorization of the National Security Administration (NSA) to conduct a classified program, including warrantless wiretapping, to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States. The Unclassified Report on the President's Surveillance Program was authored by the offices of inspectors general of the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, CIA, NSA, and Director of National Intelligence. The 43-page report discusses the inception and implementation of the PSP, provides a legal reassessment of the program, and examines the program's impact on the intelligence community's counterrorism efforts. It concludes that there had been disagreements over the program's legality, that the program may not have contributed to counterterrorism efforts, and that the program "involved unprecedented collection activities . . . . [that] should be carefully monitored."

To get a news media point of view on the report, see this article in the New York Times.

For more resources, see our guide to Intelligence.

Government Prepares for Nationwide H1N1 Vaccines

Yesterday the U.S. government held an H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit at the National Institutes of Health in an effort to promote its nationwide fall flu preparedness efforts (read the press release here). By mid-October, the federal government should receive around 100 million doses of vaccine, for which children, pregnant women, adults with chronic illnesses, and healthcare workers would get first priority. The Washington Post claims that children could be vaccinated at school in a "mass campaign not seen since the polio epidemics of the 1950s."

The government has created a new website consolidating influenza information at www.flu.gov. You can find the latest CDC Recommendations for State and Local Planning for a 2009 Novel H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Program on the CDC website.

For additional resources, see our guide.

FAA to Strengthen Airline Safety Rules

Spurred by the fatal Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York, in February, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to tighten its regulations, coming up with new flight and rest rules for airlines and requiring that airlines obtain all available FAA pilot records, among other actions. Denver will play host to one of a series of 10 regional safety forums, where the FAA hopes to discuss new practices that it wants airlines to adopt by July 31. Read the Denver Post article here.

In a June 24 press release, the FAA claimed that it would establish an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to develop recommendations for an FAA rule by September 1. On the FAA's website you can find synopses of airplane accidents such as the Colgan Air crash. You can find current FAA regulations here.

Want more resources? See our guide to Transportation.