Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

This week I thought I would talk about the International Organization the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO's mission is to defeat hunger. As such, they work with both developed and developing countries on issues related to food. For those of you that think that this means they deal with farming, that is correct, but they do a lot more. For example, just this week the FAO issued a press release on the effect of farming on greenhouse gas. This is in response to a report entitled "Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental issues and options" which reports that the livestock sector releases more greenhouse gases then the transport sector.

The FAO also issues country profiles on UN member states. These profiles provide links to publications from the FAO as well as maps of the countries with information on population, farming types, precipitation, etc.

Finally, the FAO collects a variety of statistics, including statistics on water, food supply, and fisheries. For example, according to the database FAOSTAT, Sri Lanka is the biggest exporter of tea and mate, followed by Kenya and China.

Want to see additional links to FAO web sites? Check out the library's guide to the FAO. If you are interested in seeing some of their print publications, we have many of them here at CU-Boulder and you can find them by searching the online catalog, Chinook.

African Union meets on Crisis in Darfur (Sudan)

From BBC News:

"United Nation's aid chief Jan Egeland has warned that conflicts in Sudan's Darfur, Chad and Central African Republic are now 'intimately linked'. He said fighters are crossing borders to launch attacks and risking a 'really dangerous regional crisis'.

His comments in Geneva come as the African Union meets in Nigeria, to discuss help for the overwhelmed and ill-equipped African force in Darfur.

Sudan has said no to the United Nations putting troops into the region

A hybrid mission was proposed earlier this month after a meeting of the UN, the AU and Sudanese delegates, but Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir again rejected this on Monday in a televised address.

He says he will only accept African troops under AU leadership."

Read the full news story.

For more on Sudan, check out the Government Publications Library country guide.

Keep up with current issues at the UN News Focus page on Sudan.

November Beige Book Released

From MSNBC:

"The US economy grew at a rate of 2.2 per cent in the third quarter, faster than previously thought, while wage growth earlier this year was revised down on Wednesday, adding to evidence that the economy is on track for a soft landing.

This picture was reinforced by the latest Fed Beige Book survey of economic conditions, which offered little sign of a deterioration in the US economy during October and early November."

Read the full news story.

Search the Fed Beige Book online back to 1970.

Iran's President Writes Letter to the American People

From MSNBC:

UNITED NATIONS - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a letter to the American people on Wednesday, accused their government of “coercion, force and injustice” and urged the United States to pull out of Iraq.

Ahmadinejad’s five-page letter also called on Washington to recognize a Palestinian state and cautioned the Democratic Party that, after gaining control of the U.S. Congress, they would be “held to account by the people and by history.”

The letter was given to the press by Iran’s Mission to the United Nations.

Read the full news report.

To learn more about Iran, check out the Government Publications Library subject guide.

A New U.S. Citizenship Test

According to news from MSNBC, federal officials will unveil new test questions designed, they say, to make the U.S. citizenship exam more meaningful.

"Our idea is to make this a test which is more relevant, which instills a greater sense of civic pride," says Emilio Gonzalez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Some of the new questions:

• Why do we have three branches of government? (It's not enough just to name them.)
• Name two ways Americans can participate in our democracy.
• Name three of the Cabinet posts and what they do.
• Name one idea in the Declaration of Independence.

The new exam questions will be tried out in 10 cities beginning next year. A better test that some say will also help make better citizens.

What is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services?

On March 1, 2003, service and benefit functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The President nominated Eduardo Aguirre to lead the USCIS; he was confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 2003. The USCIS is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities. See the USCIC organizational chart.

What is The Office of Citizenship?

The Office of Citizenship, within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is responsible for promoting instruction and training on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and providing immigrants with information and tools necessary to successfully integrate into American civic culture.

NBC News investigation finds sensitive documents in libraries

From NBC News:

WASHINGTON - What if an airplane were to crash into a nuclear plant? How long would it take terrorists to penetrate security barriers outside nuclear facilities? What are the most vulnerable parts of a nuclear plant to attack in order to inflict maximum damage?

The answers to all those questions, and many more, are available to the public, as NBC News discovered in a recent hidden-camera investigation. Accessing that very information — along with thousands of other sensitive documents from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) — is as easy as walking into a public library, finding the right files, printing them out and walking out with the documents in hand, no questions asked.

Read the full story from MSNBC.

Read a November 24 statement from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

See the October 27 letter to the NRC from House Committee on Science.

United States Senate Catalogue of Graphic Art

A wonderfully illustrated new publication, The United States Catalogue of Graphic Art, offers a variety of perspectives on the Senate of the 19th and 20th centuries and provides insight into a time quite different than the media-saturated world of today.

The Catalogue marks the first comprehensive publication of the approximately 1,000 prints that constitute the Senate’s collection. It is organized into eight thematic chapters: Senate Chamber, Capitol Interior, Capitol Exterior & Grounds, Senate Art, Portraits, Group Portraits, Beyond Capitol Hill, and Political Cartoons & Caricatures. Detailed information is given for each print, including title, creator, date of publication, printing technique, and dimensions. In addition, accompanying approximately 30 prints are short essays giving background and context for the scene, people, or events depicted in the illustration.

The Catalogue is available in the Government Publications Library.

AIDS Epidemic Update

The UNAIDS and World Health Organization released their Annual AIDS Epidemic Update. This report estimates that 39.5 million people are living with HIV and 2.9 million people died from AIDS in 2006. This is an increase of 2.6 million people since 2004. In addition to the larger picture, there is also brief essays on programs and problems in the various regions of the world.

Want to learn more about global health? Check out the international section of our Health subject guide.

White House to Host Summit on Malaria

The President and Mrs. Bush will host a White House Summit on Malaria in December of 2006. The Office of the First Lady--in cooperation with the Office of the Malaria Coordinator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, other federal agencies, the Millennium Promise Alliance and other private partners--will bring together international experts, NGOs and faith-based and service organizations to discuss and highlight measures for controlling malaria, a completely preventable disease from which one child dies in Africa every 30 seconds.

On June 30, 2005, President Bush announced the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The $1.2 billion, five-year initiative aims to cut malaria-related deaths by 50 percent in 15 target countries in Africa.

The Summit will call on the private sector, foundations, voluntary organizations and school groups to complement the PMI by matching the U.S. Government's financial commitment and educating the public about malaria.

For more information on malaria, visit:

• World Health Organization (WHO) - Global Malaria Programme
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Malaria
• The World Bank - Malaria
• Roll Back Malaria Partnership

See items available through Chinook, the Library Catalog.

GAO reports for the week

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there aren't many Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports this week. If you like to learn more about the GAO, check out the library's subject guide.

Reports

1. Managing Sensitive Information: DOJ Needs a More Complete Staffing Strategy for Managing Classified Information and a Set of Internal Controls for Other Sensitive Information. GAO-07-83, October 20.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-83
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0783high.pdf

2. Information Security: Agencies Need to Develop and Implement Adequate Policies for Periodic Testing. GAO-07-65, October 20.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-65
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0765high.pdf

3. Small Business Innovation Research: Agencies Need to Strengthen Efforts to Improve the Completeness, Consistency, and Accuracy of Awards Data. GAO-07-38, October 19.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-38
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0738high.pdf

Correspondence

1. Suggested Areas for Oversight for the 110th Congress. GAO-07-235R, November 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-235R

Presentation by the Comptroller General

1. "Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today" by David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, on the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. GAO-07-222CG,November 8, 2006.
http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d07222cg.pdf

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and in honor of the holiday and the fact that most people aren't looking for a deep discussion of governmental groups, today we are looking at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. This division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is in charge of protecting America's food supply. They are the group that inspects meat before it gets to the stores. They also put out fact sheets on safe food handling and meat preparation.

But what about Thanksgiving? Let's say tomorrow you are far from home and have decided to make a turkey on your own and Mom isn't answering her phone. Why not call the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline (1-888-MPHotline). They will answer questions on "safe storage, handling, and preparation of meat, poultry, and egg products." In other words, if you want to know how long to cook the turkey or what temperature to cook it at, they can help.

If you would like to learn more, check out our subject guides on Food Supply and Agriculture.

Lebanese Industry Minister Assassinated

Lebanon began three days of mourning on Wednesday for an anti-Syrian cabinet minister whose assassination, blamed by his allies on Damascus, revived fears that factional violence could spiral.

Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian, was gunned down as he drove through a Christian suburb of Beirut on Tuesday. He was the sixth anti-Syrian politician to be killed in nearly two years.

The assassination turned Lebanon’s Independence Day on Wednesday into a somber occasion. All festivities, including a military parade, were cancelled.

Read more from Reuters and MSNBC.

Find out more about Lebanon from the Government Publications Library subject guide.

Browse items in Chinook, our library catalog.

Congressional change in leadership

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate will be seeing a change in the leadership in January and this past week saw the elections for all the major posts in the House and Senate. Want to know who the Democrats chose to lead Congress? There is a press release for the Senate leadership. The House has a slightly more interactive page on the Democratic caucus web site.

Want to know about the Republican side? Unfortunately they are not as forthcoming on their web sites. You can see a photograph (no names) of the new House leadership team and on the Senate side the Republican web site still only lists Senator Frist, who retired this term.

School Bus Safety

According to news reports, three children were killed and dozens more injured as a school bus, taking students to classes at a downtown tech center in Huntsville Alabama, swerved on an overpass, plowed through a concrete barrier and plunged to the street below.

The Associated Press reports that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which was to investigate the wreck, has said that school buses are designed to protect occupants without the use of seat belts. A new design uses strong, well-padded, high-backed seats, closely spaced together.

However, the board last week added school bus safety to its list of most wanted transportation safety improvements, recommending that new standards be devised to improve safety when buses are involved in rollover crashes.

Read more on school bus passenger safety from the NTSB.

To learn more about the NTSB, read a previous blog posting about it.

Children and armed conflict

The latest report from the United Nations on Children and Armed Conflict was released today. The report examines countries where there are wars and children recruited into the armies. This report looks at each country in detail describing how children are involved along with numbers in zones where numbers can be found. If you would like a brief summary of the report, check out the UN's press release.

Want to access additional resources on children? Check out the library's subject guide.

President Bush Met with Protests in Indonesia

President Bush arrived in Indonesia after a two day APEC Summit in Vietnam for talks with Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two men met in the Javan city of Bogor and discussed security, trade and health issues. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Bogor to complain about US foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, though no violence was reported. Read more about reaction from the Indonesian press.

Read statements made by the two Presidents, including questions and answers from the press.

President Bush has been traveling in Southeast Asia, visiting Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

To learn more about Indonesia, check out the Government Publication Library's subject guide on Indonesia.

APEC in Vietnam

The 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held last weekend (November 18th & 19th) in Hanoi, Vietnam. In their annual two-day meeting chaired by Viet Nam’s President Nguyen Minh Triet, leaders of 21 APEC economies discussed the theme “Towards One Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity”.

Joining President Nguyen Minh Triet was U.S. President George Bush. For more on President Bush's visit to Vietnam, visit the White House APEC 2006 site.

Learn more about APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation).

To learn more about Vietnan, check out the Government Publication Library's subject guide on Vietnam.

GAO reports for the week

In another new feature on the blog, we will now be providing a list of the new Government Accountability (GAO) reports, correspondence and testimony posted in the past week. The GAO is commonly called the investigative arm of Congress because it writes reports on issues at the request of Congress. Want to learn more? Check out the library's subject guide on the GAO.

Reports:

1. Global War On Terrorism: Fiscal Year 2006 Obligation Rates Are Within Funding Levels and Significant Multiyear Procurement Funds Will Likely Remain Available for Use in Fiscal Year 2007. GAO-07-76, November 13.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-76
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0776high.pdf

2. Financial Audit: IRS's Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005 Financial Statements. GAO-07-136, November 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-136
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07136high.pdf

3. Defense Acquisitions: Tailored Approach Needed to Improve Service Acquisition Outcomes. GAO-07-20, November 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-20
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0720high.pdf

4. Improper Payments: Agencies' Fiscal Year 2005 Reporting under the Improper Payments Information Act Remains Incomplete. GAO-07-92, November 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-92
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0792high.pdf

5.Foreign Assistance: U.S. Democracy Assistance for Cuba Needs Better Management and Oversight. GAO-07-147, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-147
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07147high.pdf

6. Afghanistan Drug Control: Despite Improved Efforts, Deteriorating Security Threatens Success of U.S. Goals. GAO-07-78, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-78
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0778high.pdf

7. International Trade: Customs' Revised Bonding Policy Reduces Risk of Uncollected Duties, but Concerns about Uneven Implementation and Effects Remain. GAO-07-50, October 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-50
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0750high.pdf

8. Tax Administration: Most Filing Season Services Continue to Improve, but Opportunities Exist for Additional Savings. GAO-07-27, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-27
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0727high.pdf

9. Internal Revenue Service: Procedural Changes Could Enhance Tax Collections. GAO-07-26, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-26
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0726high.pdf

10. Medicaid: Strategies to Help States Address Increased Expenditures during Economic Downturns. GAO-07-97, October 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-97
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0797high.pdf

11. Critical Infrastructure Protection: Progress Coordinating Government and Private Sector Efforts Varies by Sectors' Characteristics. GAO-07-39, October 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-39
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0739high.pdf

12. Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs. GAO-07-87, October 3.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-87
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0787high.pdf

13. United Nations: Renovation Planning Follows Industry Practices, but Procurement and Oversight Could Present Challenges. GAO-07-31, November 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-31
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0731high.pdf

14. Financial Audit: Securities and Exchange Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005. GAO-07-134, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-134
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07134high.pdf

15. Capital Financing: Department Management Improvements Could Enhance Education's Loan Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. GAO-07-64, October 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-64
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0764high.pdf

16. Federal Transit Administration: Progress Made in Implementing Changes to the Job Access Program, but Evaluation and Oversight Processes Need Improvement. GAO-07-43, November 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-43
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0743high.pdf

17. Space Acquisitions: DOD Needs to Take More Action to Address Unrealistic Initial Cost Estimates of Space Systems. GAO-07-96, November 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-96
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0796high.pdf

18. President's Management Agenda: Review of OMB's Improved Financial Performance Scorecard Process. GAO-07-95, November 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-95
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0795high.pdf

Special Publications:

1. U.S. Government Accountability Office: Performance and Accountability Report, Fiscal Year 2006. GAO-07-2SP, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-2SP

Testimony:

1. Company Formations: Minimal Ownership Information is Collected and Available, by Yvonne D. Jones, director, financial markets and community investment, before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-07-196T, November 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-196T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07196thigh.pdf

2. Defense Business Transformation: A Comprehensive Plan, Integrated Efforts, and Sustained Leadership Are Needed to Assure Success, by David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, before the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, Senate Committee on Armed Services.GAO-07-229T, November 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-229T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07229thigh.pdf

3. Defense Travel System: Estimated Savings Are Questionable and Improvements Are Needed to Ensure Functionality and Increase Utilization, by McCoy Williams, director, financial management and assurance, before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-07-208T, November 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-208T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07208thigh.pdf

4. Capitol Visitor Center: Update on Status of Project's Schedule and Cost As of November 15, 2006, by Bernard L. Ungar and Bradley M. James, physical infrastructure, before the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Senate Committee on Appropriations. GAO-07-129T, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-129T

Correspondence:

1. Prevalence of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, and Stalking. GAO-07-148R, November 13.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-148R

2. Immigration Benefits: Fifteenth Report Required by the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998. GAO-07-168R, November 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-168R

3. Social Security Administration: Short Time Frame and Workload Challenges Could Affect Timely Implementation of Income-Based Medicare Part B Premiums. GAO-07-228R, November 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-228R

4. Analysis of Data for Exports Regulated by the Department of Commerce. GAO-07-197R, November 13.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-197R

5. Capitol Power Plant Utility Tunnels. GAO-07-227R, November 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-227R

National Park Service

It is Friday and time to think about what to do this weekend. It is a little cold for hiking the high country, but how about reading some online histories of the National Parks? The main history page has a full list of digitized titles, some from the early parts of the 20th century. There are park histories, books on peopling places, shaping the political landscape and for those of you who are longing for the sea, a section on maritime history. Many of these materials are also available here in the library in paper, so feel free to check out Chinook, our library catalog, if you decide you would rather read the book outside of cyberspace.

Want to learn more about Parks, Forests, Grasslands, Wildlife Refuges and Historic Places? Check out the library's subject guide.

Land Mines

The United Nations just released the tenth edition of the "Portfolio of mine action projects." This 452 page report profiles land mine removal projects across the world. The UN states that the "100 NGOs, national authorities and UN agencies face a 2007 funding shortfall of $317.5 million for their efforts in tackling problems of landmines and explosive remnants of war in 29 countries." If you don't want to read the whole report and you have a particular country of interest, check out the world map of projects. Finally, if you want to learn more about mine eradication check out the UN E-Mine, Electronic Mine Information Network.

News from the United Nations

To keep current with what's happening around the world, check out the UN News Center.

Headlining today's news:

Developing nations, donors, UN must work together for African development

DR Congo: Annan leads call for calm after provisional presidential results released

• See also our subject page on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

To stop Darfur conflict spreading, foreign presence needed on border with Chad

• See also our subject guide for Sudan.

New initiatives make UN more transparent, accountable, ethical

For more information on the United Nations, see our guide to United Nations Resources.

Iraq Study Group

We are trying out a new idea here on the blog, each Wednesday we will focus on a government agency or intergovernmental group in the news and talk a little about what they do and what information you can find from them. If you have a particular agency you would like us to focus on feel free to send us a comment either on this post or via email from the link in the sidebar. So without further ado, let's focus on the first group.

The Iraq Study Group ("ISG") is a bipartisan commission formed at the urging of Congress to look at the current and future situation in Iraq. The group is chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, the chairs were chosen by congressional organizers, the U.S. Institute of Peace and other supporting groups, but the remaining members were chosen by the chairs. This week the ISG met with President Bush, but they have not released a final report yet. This final report will provide " bipartisan, forward-looking assessment of the situation in Iraq."

There is no information on when the report will be released, but the group will be meeting next week with "Democratic foreign policy experts," which means it may come out sometime after that. The only hints provided on the web site are sometime after the November 7th election. We will post the report on the blog as soon as it is released.

Want more information? Check out the newsletter "Peace Watch." Follow the link at the top of the record to the latest issue with the lead article: "Iraq Study begins it's work." The library also has this title in paper for anyone who is interested.

Earth from Space

The Red Tape Blog lead me to this great site from the Smithsonian Institution. The Earth From Space site lets you scroll in and look at various satellite images, one of my favorites is "Earth at Night." Think about that the next time you leave your porch light on. This online exhibit is to go with their physical tour, check out the schedule maybe it is coming to a city near you.

Need more pictures from space? Why not check out this picture of the flatirons here in Boulder. This is from NASA's Gateway to Astronaut Photography, which has tons of pictures of many other places all over the world.

Lame Ducks

You may have heard on the news a lot of discussion of the current "lame duck" session of Congress. Ever wonder where that term came from or what it means? The Oxford English Dictionary (available to CU subscribers), defines a lame duck as "U.S. Politics, an office-holder who is not, or cannot be, re-elected; spec. (before 1933), a defeated member in the short session of Congress after a November election." Want to read early mentions of it? Check out the Congressional Globe, page 307 for the January 17th, 1863. Rep. Powell uses it in reference to failed politicians becoming judges, stating "could it be justly obnoxious to the charge of being a receptacle of "lame ducks" or broken down politicians."

Want to see what our elected lame ducks are up to? Check out the Senate web site on the side bar or the House floor activity.

Who is Robert M. Gates?

As all those who watch the news have probably heard, Donald Rumsfeld is resigning and Robert M. Gates has been nominated to be Secretary of Defense. The White House has put up a brief fact sheet on Gates, but for those of you interested in a more in-depth profile, why not check out the numerous hearings on his nomination to be Director of Central Intelligence, a post he held from 1991-93. At that time his was a controversial nomination, in large part due to questions on the Iran Contra affair. In fact, ranking democratic minority leader (until January) of the Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin voted against Gates nomination in 1991, although he has pledged to he is "going to give it a fair and fresh look" (from "Gates no stranger to contention" in the Washington Post).

To check out the print copies of the hearings, sorry no digital copies of this one, you can check out them out in Chinook. Record number 3 is the three volume set, which can be found at Y3.In8/19:S.Hrg.102-799.

Gerald Ford Becomes Longest Living US President

Former President Gerald Ford, who turned 93 on July 14, 2006, became the nation's longest living President on Sunday at the age of 93 years, 121 days. He surpassed Ronald Reagan, who died in June 2004 at the age of 93 years, 120 days.

For a complete list and brief biographies of the U.S. Presidents, visit the White House History page.

Clashes in Congo Capital of Kinshasa

Heavy gunfire and loud blasts rang out in the Congo capital of Kinshasa on Saturday in new clashes between fighters loyal to the contenders in historic elections meant to end a decade of war.

Soldiers allied to Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former rebel chief, said they were fighting police and the Republican Guard loyal to President Joseph Kabila, whom Bemba challenged in an October 29 presidential run-off vote.

For more information on the Democratic Republic of Congo, check out the Government Publications Library country guide.

Veteran's Day 2006

Today is November 11, 2006 - Veteran's Day.

Read this year's Presidential Veteran's Day Proclamation issued October 31, 2006.

World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918 , is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." The 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Get a more detailed history of Veteran's Day from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs website.

Check out the Veteran's Day Poster Gallery with official Veteran's Day posters from 1978 through 2006.

UNDP's Human Development Report 2006

The United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report 2006 was released today in Cape Town, South Africa. The report, "Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis":

• Investigates the underlying causes and consequences of a crisis that leaves 1.2 billion people without access to safe water and 2.6 billion without access to sanitation
• Argues for a concerted drive to achieve water and sanitation for all through national strategies and a global plan of action
• Examines the social and economic forces that are driving water shortages and marginalizing the poor in agriculture
• Looks at the scope for international cooperation to resolve cross-border tensions in water management
• Includes special contributions from Gordon Brown and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Lula, President Carter, and the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

The full report is available in six language versions with summaries in eight languages.

Check related news stories on the web.

For more information on water issues, visit the Government Publications Library subject guide.

Rumsfeld Resigns - Bush Nominates Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense

President Bush this afternoon announced his choice to be the next secretary of defense - Robert M. Gates - calling him the right man to meet the challenges facing the United States. During a brief White House news conference today, the president also thanked Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Watch video of the news conference.

For more information on the Defense Department, visit the Government Publications Library subject guide to Military Information.

President Bush's Post Election Press Conference

President Bush gave his first press conference after yesterday's mid-term elections at 1:00 p.m. EST in the East Room of the White House.

His first words... "I say, why all the glum faces?"

Read a transcript of his speech, including some Q&A from the press.

Elections elsewhere

We weren't the only country to have elections this week, Nicaragua voted on Monday. With the latest election results (available online in Spanish), it appears that Daniel Ortega has won the presidency. Does that name sound familiar? It's not a surprise, in the 1980's the Contras worked against the Ortega government in Nicaragua with support from the CIA. Interested in learning more about US-Nicaragua policy? The Digital National Security database (available to CU users) has a set of declassified material entitled "Nicaragua: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1978-1990." For those of you who don't know anything about the Contras in Nicaragua, check out the essay for this collection.

Want to learn more about Nicaragua? Check out the library's country page.

Election results!

As I speak right now, no one has made any official announcements on who has won. But later this evening, it will be a different story, so...

For official results in Colorado go to the Secretary of State's page.

For official information on other states, go their Secretary of State.

Don't want to wait? Check out the CNN page or the Washington Post page (click on the drop down map on ther right to see states other then Colorado).

Want more election or voting information? Check out the library's subject guide.

Nov. 7 meeting

Oops, sorry about the earlier post that was here. We meant to put it on our internal blog.

Jennie

Get out and vote

Tomorrow the political attack ads stop! The polls open and we all get to vote. Here in Boulder the polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. If you are here you can even print out a ballot, which will come in handy when dealing with those 7 amendments, 7 referendums, 2 local issues, and numerous people running for everything from county coroner to governor!

Still can't decide who to vote for? Check out our subject guide on election resources.

Saddam Hussein verdict announced

A verdict in Saddam Hussein's trial was reached today. The Iraqi High Tribunal declared Hussein guilty of massacre and sentenced him to death. President Bush praised the decision. Read more about reaction to this in the Washington Post article "Bush applauds Hussein verdict."

Want to learn more about Iraq, check out the library's subject guide.

Female Circumcision in the News

In what is thought to be the first U.S. court case involving female circumcision, an Ethiopian man in Georgia was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the genital mutilation of his 2 year old daughter in 2001.

Congress passed legislation in 1996 outlawing the practice of female genital mutilation (See Public Law 104-208, sections 644 and 645 on pages 709 and 710).

In 2001, the U.S. State Department issued a Report on Female Genital Mutilation as Required by Conference Report (H. Rept. 106-997) to Public Law 106-429.

For more information and for further research:

• U.S. Office of Women's Health: Female Genital Cutting
• World Health Organization: Female Genital Mutilation
• Center for Reproductive Rights: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM):Legal Prohibitions Worldwide
• Center for Reproductive Rights: Legislation on Female Genital Mutilation in the United States (October 2000 - Briefing Paper)

More information is available through Chinook, the University Libraries catalog.