Thursday, April 30, 2009

Current Resources Available on FinancialStability.gov

In February we wrote a blog post on the U.S. Treasury Department's new Financial Stability Plan and its associated website, FinancialStability.gov. Unfortunately, this site, intended to provide oversight on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) programs, contained very little information when it was first constructed. Now, however, you can find some interesting documents:

For additional resources, see our guide to Economic Crisis and Stimulus.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

North Korea Threatens Nuclear Missile Test

North Korea is threatening to test nuclear missiles, BBC News reports, unless the UN Security Council apologizes for condemning the Asian republic's April 5 rocket launch and calling for stronger sanctions against it. The launch had been perceived by many as a disguised missile test.

North Korea has insisted it would ignore the UN sanctions and has called them "a wanton violation of the UN charter." The republic's first nuclear missile test took place in October 2006. One BBC reporter states that a second missile test by North Korea would indicate that it is no longer participating in the six-party talks, which are international nuclear disarmament negotiations. You can find the outcome of latest six-party talks on this web page.

For additional resources, see our guides to Foreign Relations and Energy.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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 piracy, organized crime, federal advisory committees, and more. 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 Secrecy News:
Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports 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.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Swine Flu Provokes Action by U.S. and World Agencies

As news sources reported that swine influenza cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and Canada and may have caused as many as 103 deaths in Mexico, the U.S. declared a "public health emergency." The U.S. is stockpiling civilian and military antiviral drugs for possible distribution, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is working on a vaccine against the virus. Read the Washington Post's report on the flu outbreak or view the most current updates on these U.S. and international agency websites:

We list more health information resources on our guide.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as Afghanistan, the auto industry, Iraqi refugee assistance, and transportation security. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports
Related Products & Special Publications
Correspondence
Testimonies

Friday, April 24, 2009

When Illegal Immigrants Are Separated from Their U.S. Citizen Children

Recently the New York Times brought up the issue of U.S. citizen children being separated from parents who are undocumented immigrants in this country. The article recounts the story of one Guatemalan immigrant who lost custody of her child following her incarceration for illegal immigration. The boy was adopted by U.S. citizens.

Other custody situations like this one are taking place across the country. An adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is described as saying that her department is seeking ways to deal with family separations in the face of new immigration enforcement guidelines. Department of Homeland Security information about this issue is not easy to find on its website, but these resources provide some interesting information:

You can find additional resources in our guide to Immigration.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Find Earth Day Resources from the EPA

Today is Earth Day, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has created an Earth Day web page featuring a message from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, tips on environmental protection, an Earth Day "Take-Home Kit," and information about Earth Day events and volunteer opportunities happening across the country. You can find similar links at EarthDay.gov. Learn about Earth Day's history here.

In addition to its Earth Day page, the EPA website provides some useful tools that can help you find more comprehensive information about environmental topics:

  • A-Z Index This is the topics page for the EPA; you can use this list to find resources on a specific topic.

  • Where You Live Learn about environmental conditions in your community or link to your state environmental agency.

  • Laws, Regulations, Guidance and Dockets Learn about environmental law enforcement, proposed EPA regulations, and how you can comment on such rulings.
To find more government resources about environmental issues, see our guide to Environment.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

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 foreign relations, economic issues, renewable energy, and much more. 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:
Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports 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.

Monday, April 20, 2009

UN World Library

Tomorrow marks the official launch of the World Digital Library, but why wait until then to check it out? For those of us who love American Memory, much of the US content may look familiar, but this library contains much more. Here are some of my personal favorites:
This is only a hint of what you can find in here, I encourage you to go yourself and check out the library!

Want to know more about how this was created and future plans for additional resources? Check out the UNESCO press release and the Washington Post's "U.N.'s World Digital Library Goes Online."

Want more online collections like this? Check out the library's guide.

Friday, April 17, 2009

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as nuclear security. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports
Special Publication
Correspondence

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Stricter Standards in Store for Education Funding?

The New York Times reports that the Obama administration may be rewriting the No Child Left Behind law to incorporate stricter standards. Signs of this, the Times claims, are evidenced by "assurances" governors must sign in order to receive funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [see Section 14005 (d) of the ARRA].

What does U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have to say about the $44 billion available for education reform through the ARRA? View his April 3 webcast on the Department of Education's website. You can also find some guidelines for distribution and use of funds on the fact sheet of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which is part of ARRA.

For further information, see our guide to Education.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

CRS Reports Are Back!

The last few weeks have not given us any CRS reports, but this week we seem to back with a nice new pile! 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 foreign relations, budget deficits, military, and much more. 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:
Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports 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.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter Egg Roll

Let's skip over any economic, foreign policy or other news for the day and enjoy the fact that today's news can be all about Easter Eggs. The icon to the left is the White House's Easter Egg Roll for 2009 official seal.

If you are one of the lucky ticket holders, your kid gets to roll an egg around the White House a tradition 131 years old (according the Washington Post). For those of us stuck in areas where you still need a jacket, you can enjoy the festivities via live stream on the Easter Egg Roll web site.

Still want more fun stuff? Well, then go and check out some of the government's kids pages.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as aviation safety. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports
Presentations By The Acting Comptroller General
  • "GAO: Promoting Accountability and Transparency in Government," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before the James Harding Executive Speaker Program at Lycoming College, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. GAO-09-441CG, March 23, 2009
    http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09441cg.pdf
  • "GAO: Promoting Accountability and Transparency in Government," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before the Women's Philanthropy Board 7th Annual Spring Symposium, Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama. GAO-09-572CG, April 6, 2009
    http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09572cg.pdf
  • "Key Fiscal Challenges Facing the Accountability Community," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before the 2009 AGA Southeast Region Professional Development Conference, in Nashville, Tennessee. GAO-09-505CG, April 2, 2009
    http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09505cg.pdf
Correspondence

Friday, April 10, 2009

CIA to Close Secret Prisons

On Thursday, Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta stated that the CIA would decommission secret overseas prisons where it had used harsh interrogation tactics on Al Quaeda prisoners. Read the New York Times article about the statement or take a look at Panetta's actual statement on the CIA's website.

The Times article mentions that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence had begun an investigation of the CIA's detention and interrogation program. You can find the press release about this review on the committee's website. On the website you can also find a full report of the committee's activities from January 4, 2007, to January 2, 2009.

For additional resources, see our guides to Intelligence and Terrorism.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Economists Offer Latest Forecasts on GDP and Unemployment

In their most recent forecasting survey, Wall Street Journal economists predict that the recession will end in September, but they don't believe that the unemployment rate will decrease until the second half of 2010. You can find the article here.

The economists forecast that GDP will contract in the first and second quarters of 2009 by 5.0% and 1.8%, respectively, but that GDP will grow by 0.4% in the third quarter. GDP had contracted by 6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2008. But the labor outlook will take longer to recover, and one economist claims "the economy would have to grow an average of about 4% for six years to get back to the sub-5% unemployment rates seen in 2007."

Where can you conduct your own search for statistics on GDP and unemployment? GDP and other economic data are available on the website of the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For statistics on unemployment, pay, and other labor factors, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To find out how the Department of Labor is using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to stimulate the economy through its labor programs, check out its web page on Implementing the Recovery Act.

To help you find additional resources on the economic downturn and government stimulus programs, we've created this new guide.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Campaign on HIV/AIDS Awareness Begins

Yesterday the Obama administration commenced a five-year, $45 million communications campaign to promote awareness about HIV infection and AIDS. The campaign, Act Against AIDS, will feature public service announcements, advertising on public transportation, text messages, and a Website.

You can read more about the campaign in the Washington Post. You can find more online government resources through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

For additional national and international resources about the AIDS epidemic, see our guide to Health and Medical Information.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Arctic Sea Ice Melting Faster than Expected

Today's Washington Post reports that Arctic sea ice is melting more quickly than scientists had anticipated. Satellite data from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Center show that sea ice cover in the Arctic continues to shrink, and the ice cap is also thinning.

The same day that the ice data were revealed, international leaders had convened in Washington to issues affecting the Earth's polar regions. On the State Department's website you can read a transcript of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech made to the Joint Session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council.

For additional resources, see our guide to Climate Change.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Defense releases new buget recommendations

Defense Secretary Gates released budget recommendations for the Department of Defense which will "profoundly reform how this department does business." You can read a transcript of the remarks on this budget from the Department of Defense web site, which has already issued two press articles (Budget Recommendations and People take top priority) on these recommendations.

For more information on these recommendations check out the Washington Post "Big cuts seen for F-22, other big weapon programs" or "U.S. to Shake Up Big Weapons Programs" from the Wall Street Journal.

Want more military information? Check out the library's guide.

Government Resources on Intercountry Adoption

As I was skimming the daily news headlines, I noticed an article about a Malawi court's rejection of pop star Madonna's attempt to adopt a Malawian child. Though initially irritated to see a celebrity mentioned among the daily news headlines, I thought it would be interesting to provide our readers with some governmental and intergovernmental resources about adoption.

Malawi's Ministry of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services establishes policies on intercountry adoption of Malawi children. Here you can find Malawi's National Policy on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children.

In the U.S., the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues provides information and statistics on intercountry adoption. In 1994 the U.S. signed the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption, which provides international standards for intercountry adoptions. Malawi has not signed the convention.

You can find more resources on the Malawian government in our guide to this country. Further resources on adoption can be found in our guide to Children and Youth.

Friday, April 03, 2009

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as the risks of tax software, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), methadone overdose deaths, and defense acquisitions and infrastructure . If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports
Related Product
  • Export Promotion: States' Export Promotion Agency Survey (GAO-09-148SP), an E-supplement to GAO-09-144. GAO-09-148SP, March 4.
    http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-148SP
  • Troubled Asset Relief Program: Capital Purchase Program Transactions for the Period October 28, 2008 through March 20, 2009 and Information on Financial Agency Agreements, Contracts, and Blanket Purchase Agreements Awarded as of March 13, 2009 (GAO-09-522SP, March 2009), an E-supplement to GAO-09-504. GAO-09-522SP, March 31.
    http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-522SP
Correspondence
Testimonies

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Federal Court Rules in Favor of Afghanistan Detainees

Today U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled that some prisoners held by the United States military at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, have a right to contest their imprisonment. You can find an article on the ruling in the New York Times. The court opinion is available on the DC District Court's website.

Judge Bates states that the three detainees in the case have the same legal rights that the Supreme Court last year afforded to prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. For comparison, see the District Court's web page devoted to Guantánamo Bay Case Information.

For additional U.S. Court resources, see our guide.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

G-20 Meets in London

On April 2 the G-20 meets in London to discuss the troubling state of the global economy. The Guardian provides a portal with links to the latest news, blog posts, and images related to the meeting.

The G-20, or Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, formed in 1999 to bring industrialized and developing economies together to discuss the global economy. Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the U.S., and the European Union. You can learn more about the G-20 on its official website.

There are a few more primary resources on the G-20 and the London Summit that might interest you:

  • The London Summit 2009 This website is dedicated to the London Summit taking place right now. Here you can find live webcasts, a list of the summit's aims, and position papers.
  • G-20 Publications Here you can download communiques, case studies, work programs, and other documents.
To find the websites of additional international organizations dealing with global economic issues, go to our guide.