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 FEMA and national preparedness, U.S. public diplomacy, and Federal Reserve Banks and security controls. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2008 and 2007 Financial Statements. GAO-09-535, May 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-535
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09535high.pdf
• Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007. GAO-09-409, May 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-409
• National Preparedness: FEMA Has Made Progress, but Needs to Complete and Integrate Planning, Exercise, and Assessment Efforts. GAO-09-369, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-369
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09369high.pdf
• Sponsored Noncitizens and Public Benefits: More Clarity in Federal Guidance and Better Access to Federal Information Could Improve Implementation of Income Eligibility Rules. GAO-09-375, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-375
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09375high.pdf
  

Correspondence

• Defense Management: Observations on DOD's Analysis of Options for Improving Corrosion Prevention and Control through Earlier Planning in the Requirements and Acquisition Processes. GAO-09-694R, May 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-694R
• Federal Reserve Banks: Areas for Improvement in Information Security Controls. GAO-09-722R, May 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-722R
• Financial Management: DOD Needs to Clarify Its General Gift Fund Policies to Provide for Effective Oversight. GAO-09-486R, May 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-486R

Special Product

• U.S. Public Diplomacy: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight. GAO-09-679SP, May 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-679SP

ILO Increases Estimates of Global Unemployment

The UN News Centre reports that The International Labour Organization (ILO) increased its estimates of worldwide unemployment for 2009. The ILO's own web release projects an increase of 39 to 59 million unemployed people since 2007. It also states, "Updated projections of working poverty across the world indicate that 200 million workers are at risk of joining the ranks of people living on less than USD 2 per day between 2007 and 2009." The ILO's full report can be found in the Global Employment Trends - Update, May 2009.

The ILO was founded in 1919 and became a special agency of the United Nations in 1946. Its primary objectives are to promote worker rights, advocate acceptable employment opportunities, promote social protection, and improve communication in employment situations. Following are some additional ILO resources relevant to global unemployment:

• Measurement of employment, unemployment and underemployment – Current international standards and issues in their application (2007)
• Statistics and databases

For additional resources, see the international section of our guide to Labor and Employment.

President Nominates Sotomayor to Supreme Court

President Obama has announced that he will nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Judge David H. Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. As this New York Times article explains, Judge Sotomayor serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and if confirmed she would be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

You can learn more about Judge Sotomayor's background by reading her biography on the website of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (you can also do a search for court opinions made by Sotomayor; just enter her last name in the search box). The Law Library of Congress has created a web page with links to Sotomayor's publications and other online documents about her.

To find Supreme Court dockets and opinions or learn about current Supreme Court justices, take a look at the website of the Supreme Court.

For additional resources about the federal court system, see our guide.

Task Force Convenes in Denver to Discuss "Green" Jobs

Today the White House's Middle Class Task Force will hold its fourth meeting at the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver. See the Denver Post for a Colorado news account of the event or view the White House's blog post. In the town-hall-style meeting, Vice President Joe Biden, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan will discuss national programs and stimulus spending that would train workers for "green" jobs. According to the Post article, some of these jobs will entail improving energy efficiency in public housing.

The Middle Class Task Force was formed in January of this year. The Task Force doesn't mention plans or agenda items on its website, but it has issued two reports:

• Financing the Dream: Securing College Affordability for the Middle Class
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Helping Middle Class Families

Looking for more resources on labor and employment? See our guide.

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 freight rail security and the Endangered Species Act. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Designated Federal Entities: Survey of Governance Practices and the Inspector General Role. GAO-09-270, April 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-270
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09270high.pdf
• DOD Business Systems Modernization: Recent Slowdown in Institutionalizing Key Management Controls Needs to Be Addressed. GAO-09-586, May 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-586
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09586high.pdf
• DOD Personnel Clearances: Comprehensive Timeliness Reporting, Complete Clearance Documentation, and Quality Measures Are Needed to Further Improve the Clearance Process. GAO-09-400, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-400
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09400high.pdf
• End-Stage Renal Disease: CMS Should Monitor Effect of Bundled Payment on Home Dialysis Utilization Rates. GAO-09-537, May 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-537
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09537high.pdf
• Endangered Species Act: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Has Incomplete Information about Effects on Listed Species from Section 7 Consultations. GAO-09-550, May 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-550
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09550high.pdf
• Federal Contractors: Better Performance Information Needed to Support Agency Contract Award Decisions. GAO-09-374, April 23.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-374
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09374high.pdf
• Federal Transit Administration: Progress and Challenges in Implementing and Evaluating the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program. GAO-09-496, May 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-496
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09496high.pdf
• Foreign Assistance: Measures to Prevent Inadvertent Payments to Terrorists under Palestinian Aid Programs Have Been Strengthened, but Some Weaknesses Remain. GAO-09-622, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-622
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09622high.pdf
• Freight Rail Security: Actions Have Been Taken to Enhance Security, but the Federal Strategy Can Be Strengthened and Security Efforts Better Monitored. GAO-09-243, April 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-243
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09243high.pdf
• Sovereign Wealth Funds: Laws Limiting Foreign Investment Affect Certain U.S. Assets and Agencies Have Various Enforcement Processes. GAO-09-608, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-608
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09608high.pdf

Correspondence

• Effect of Personnel Reform on the Federal Aviation Administration's Budget. GAO-09-645R, May 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-645R
• Questions for the Record Related to the Implementation of the Department of Defense's National Security Personnel System. GAO-09-669R, May 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-669R
• Responses to Questions for the Record: March 18, 2009, Hearing on ATC Modernization: Near-Term Achievable Goals. GAO-09-718R, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-718R

Testimonies

• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Coordinated Federal Decisions and Additional Data Are Needed to Manage Potential Economic Impact of Applying U.S. Immigration Law, by David Gootnick, director, international affairs and trade, before the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, House Committee on Natural Resources. GAO-09-426T, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-426T
• Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Senate Committee on Appropriations. GAO-09-699T, May 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-699T
• Information Security: Agencies Make Progress in Implementation of Requirements, but Significant Weaknesses Persist, by Gregory C. Wilshusen, director, information security issues, before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-09-701T, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-701T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09701thigh.pdf
• Joint Strike Fighter: Strong Risk Management Essential as Program Enters Most Challenging Phase, by Michael Sullivan, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-711T, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-711T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09711thigh.pdf
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Financial Challenges Highlight Need for Improved Governance and Management, by Barbara D. Bovbjerg, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. GAO-09-702T, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-702T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09702thigh.pdf
• Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers, by Gregory D. Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, before the House Committee on Education and Labor. GAO-09-719T, May 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-719T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09719thigh.pdf
• Space Acquisitions: DOD Faces Substantial Challenges in Developing New Space Systems, by Cristina T. Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-705T, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-705T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09705thigh.pdf
• U.S. Postal Service: Network Rightsizing Needed to Help Keep USPS Financially Viable, by Phillip Herr, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-09-674T, May 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-674T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09674thigh.pdf

Government Puts HEAT on Medicare & Medicaid Fraud

The Justice and Health & Human Services departments are joining forces to crack down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud. The Washington Post reports that this task force was created on Wednesday to put an end to fraudulent claims on Medicare and Medicaid programs, which fund healthcare for the poor, elderly, and disabled. According to the article, the recent gloomy forecast for Medicare may have provided an impetus for creating this new task force: "The announcement comes a week after the trustees who monitor Medicare's finances predicted that the trust fund . . . will be depleted by 2017, a year earlier than previously expected."

The government has dubbed this task force the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), and you can find more information about the program on its website. On this page you can read the mission of and actions taken or planned by HEAT.

What constitutes Medicare fraud, exactly? The Health and Human Services website provides an overview.

For more information about Medicare and Medicaid, see our guide to Health and Medical Information.

Treaties in Force 2009 Is Now Online

Are you interested in finding a current list of all the treaties and international agreements in force for the U.S. and other countries? The 2009 edition of Treaties in Force is now available on the U.S. Department of State's website. Bilateral treaties are listed by
country with subject headings under each entry, and multilateral treaties are listed by subject (such as narcotic drugs, space, or taxation).

If you are on CU campus or have off-campus access via VPN, you can find the full text of treaties and agreements in the HeinOnline database. The text and status of treaties dating back to 1975 are freely available and searchable on the Library of Congress' Thomas website. Because the Senate is responsible for giving advice and consent to ratify treaties, the Senate's website provides access to information about treaties received, reported, or approved.

Need more resources on treaties? We provide additional information in our guide.

Senate Passes Bill on Credit Card Reform

By a 90-5 vote, the U.S. Senate today passed a bill, H.R. 627, that would put new restrictions on credit card companies, limit interest rate increases, prevent high "over limit" fees, and ban the practice of "universal default." A similar bill was passed by the House of Representatives earlier in May, and a reconciled version of the two pieces of legislation may be presented to President Obama for his signature by the end of the week. You can read the Senate roll call here.

To read a press release about the bill, see this piece on the website of the Senate Committee on Housing, Banking, and Urban Affairs. You can read a news article on the legislation in the Los Angeles Times.

For additional government resources about banks and credit unions, see our guide.

Mission to Space

Space...the final frontier... If you watch the new Star Trek movie you might be interested to check out a real space mission, such as the STS-125 mission going on right now. NASA does a wonderful job of putting up links to videos, reports and much more on their web site for the mission. Check out this page for some cool interactive features!

You can also learn more and look at cool pictures by checking out the Hubble Space Telescope web site. Did you know that the Hubble telescope has been in operation for 19 years? You can also read even more about the mission on these pages.

Want more astronomy and space resources? Check out the library's guide.

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 security, military depot maintenance, and Navy shipbuilding. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Aviation Security: TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions Are Needed to Mitigate Risks. GAO-09-292, May 13.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-292
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09292high.pdf
• Best Practices: High Levels of Knowledge at Key Points Differentiate Commercial Shipbuilding from Navy Shipbuilding. GAO-09-322, May 13.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-322
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09322high.pdf
• Depot Maintenance: Actions Needed to Identify and Establish Core Capability at Military Depots. GAO-09-83, May 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-83
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0983high.pdf
• Federal Rulemaking: Improvements Needed to Monitoring and Evaluation of Rules Development as Well as to the Transparency of OMB Regulatory Reviews. GAO-09-205, April 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-205
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09205high.pdf
  
• Financial Audit: Congressional Award Foundation's Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007 Financial Statements. GAO-09-652, May 15.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-652
• IRS Management: IRS Practices Contribute to Its Resilience, but It Would Benefit from Additional Emergency Planning Efforts. GAO-09-418, April 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-418
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09418high.pdf
• Military Housing Privatization: DOD Faces New Challenges Due to Significant Growth at Some Installations and Recent Turmoil in the Financial Markets. GAO-09-352, May 15.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-352
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09352high.pdf
• Motor Carrier Safety: Commercial Vehicle Registration Program Has Kept Unsafe Carriers from Operating, but Effectiveness Is Difficult to Measure. GAO-09-495, May 12.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-495
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09495high.pdf
  

Testimony

• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Issues Regarding the Inclusion of Refined Petroleum Products as Part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, by Franklin Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. GAO-09-695T, May 12.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-695T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09695thigh.pdf

Reissued Product

• Medicare: Improvements Needed to Address Improper Payments in Home Health. GAO-09-185, February 27. [Product revised to correct references throughout the report related to the percentage growth in the number of home health agencies that billed Medicare and to more clearly describe the report's methodology.]
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-185
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09185high.pdf

Homeowner's Aid Program Develops Slowly

In two months, the Obama administration's Making Home Affordable (MHA) program has provided lower-cost mortgages to over 50,000 homeowners. But the program is being implemented slowly and unevenly, reports the Washington Post, and this has left many lenders frustrated. In fact, last week mortgage financing company Fannie Mae got a temporary restraining order from the South Carolina Supreme Court to halt the foreclosure sale of over 1,000 properties so it could give the MHA program more time to work.

Today, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan provided an update on the MHA program that contains new foreclosure alternatives and new protection alternatives for home price declines.

Want more resources about housing? Take a look at our guide.

More Babies Born to Unmarried Mothers

The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released trends on childbearing outside of marriage. The report "Changing Patterns of Nonmarital Childbearing in the United States" relates a few key findings, that 26% more children were born to unmarried mother then in 2002. Birth rates for unmarried women in their 20s and up have increased. In 2007, teenagers accounted for 23% of nonmarital births compared to 50% in 1970.

Want to read more about this report and reaction? Check out the Washington Post's "Report: Babies Increasingly Born to Unwed Mothers."

Want more health and medical information? Check out the library's guide.

India Finishes Elections for 2009

The month-long general election process in India , which was accompanied by violence in Calcutta (1 death and 17 injuries occurred as a result of clashes), is now coming to a close. A BBC News article reports that votes will be counted on Saturday, and new parliament must be formed by June 2.

For government details about elections in India, take a look at the website of the country's Election Commission. Here you can find information about voter registration, election laws, and past elections in India as well as current election information (such as this overview of India's election highlights). Once the new Parliament is formed, you can keep track of its activities on its website.

To find more resources, see our country guide to India.

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 H1N1 flu, U.S. court nominations, the financial crisis, 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:

• The 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Outbreak: Selected Legal Issues
• Assessment in Elementary and Secondary Education: A Primer
• Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA): An Overview
• Foreign Operations Appropriations: General Provisions
• Proposals for a Congressional Commission on the Financial Crisis: A Comparative Analysis
• Sending Mail to Members of the Armed Forces at Reduced or Free Postage: An Overview
• State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts
• Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Developments and Policy Implications
• U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: Senate Rejections and Committee Votes Other Than to Report Favorably, 1939-2009

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.

FDA May Gain Ability to Regulate Tobacco

The Washington Post reports that a bill making its way through Congress would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco products. HR 1256, which has passed the House and is now making its way through the Senate, would give the Food and Drug Administration the ability to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco.

At present you can't find much on the FDA's website about tobacco regulation. If you search the site for the term "tobacco," your first search result is this FDA and Tobacco Regulation statement, which explains that "on March 21, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lacks the authority to regulate tobacco." In the Federal Register you can find more information about how the Supreme Court's ruling revoked federal authority over state and local tobacco laws and federal regulation of tobacco sales.

For further resources, see our guide to Health.

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 hedge funds, financial management, information security, and graduate medical education. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Financial Management: Achieving Financial Statement Auditability in the Department of Defense. GAO-09-373, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-373
• Financial Management Systems: OMB's Financial Management Line of Business Initiative Continues but Future Success Remains Uncertain. GAO-09-328, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-328
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09328high.pdf
• Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities. GAO-09-325, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-325
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09325high.pdf
• Insurance Reciprocity and Uniformity: NAIC and State Regulators Have Made Progress in Producer Licensing, Product Approval, and Market Conduct Regulation, but Challenges Remain. GAO-09-372, April 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-372
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09372high.pdf
• Military Personnel: Army Needs to Focus on Cost-Effective Use of Financial Incentives and Quality Standards in Managing Force Growth. GAO-09-256, May 4.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-256
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09256high.pdf
  
• Securities and Exchange Commission: Greater Attention Needed to Enhance Communication and Utilization of Resources in the Division of Enforcement. GAO-09-358, March 31.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-358
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09358high.pdf
• U.S. Postal Service: Intelligent Mail Benefits May Not Be Achieved if Key Risks Are Not Addressed. GAO-09-599, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-599
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09599high.pdf

Correspondence

• Statutory Authorities to Prohibit Inspector General Activities. GAO-09-660R, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-660R
• Tax Administration: Possible Implications of Expanding Refund Offset Provisions. GAO-09-571R, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-571R
  

Testimonies

• Architect of the Capitol: Plans for Renovating the Cannon House Office Building and Garages, by Terrell G. Dorn, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the House Committee on House Administration. GAO-09-673T, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-673T
• Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities, by Cristina T. Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-09-670T, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-670T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09670thigh.pdf
• Graduate Medical Education: Trends in Training and Student Debt. GAO-09-438R, May 4.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-438R
  
• Hedge Funds: Overview of Regulatory Oversight, Counterparty Risks, and Investment Challenges, by Orice M. Williams, director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, House Committee on Financial Services. GAO-09-677T, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-677T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09677thigh.pdf
• Information Security: Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities Place Federal Systems at Risk, by Gregory C. Wilshusen, director, information security issues, before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform GAO-09-661T, May 5.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-661T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09661thigh.pdf
• Recovery Act: GAO's Efforts to Work with the Accountability Community to Help Ensure Effective and Efficient Oversight, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, House Committee on Science and Technology. GAO-09-672T, May 5.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-672T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09672thigh.pdf
  
• Securities and Exchange Commission: Greater Attention Is Needed to Enhance Communication and Utilization of Resources in the Division of Enforcement, by Richard J. Hillman, managing director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. GAO-09-613T, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-613T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09613thigh.pdf
• State Department: Significant Vulnerabilities in the Passport Issuance Process, by Jess T. Ford, director, international affairs and trade, before the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, Senate Committee on the Judiciary. GAO-09-681T, May 5.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-681T

Colorado Begins Updating Academic Standards

For the first time in more than a decade, Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is revising its academic standards for grades K-12. A Denver Post article reports that CDE made drafts available Thursday of its revised standards for mathematics; music; reading, writing, and communicating; and science. It is probable that these new standards will be incorporated into the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP).

You can find these drafts and other relevant information on the CDE website:

• The latest drafts of the revised Colorado Academic Standards.
• Current Colorado K-12 Academic Standards.
• Information about the CSAP
• CDE education reform initiatives

If you need help navigating the CDE website or want other education resources, take a look at our guide.

Congress Schedules Hearing on Torture

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has planned a congressional hearing on the torture of foreign prisoners, Democracy Now! stated in today's news headlines. The hearing, entitled "What Went Wrong: Torture and the Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush Administration," is scheduled for May 13 and will be presented before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.

Senator Whitehouse is chairman of the subcommittee in addition to being a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In this April 16 press release, he commended President Obama for choosing to release prisoner interrogation memos written by the Bush administration's Office of Legal Counsel (an office of the Justice Department).

In the past couple of months, we've posted a few more entries on our blog that discuss foreign prisoner interrogation as it relates to international law or current CIA action. If you haven't already, take a look at these for links to related online resources.

Obama Plans to Curb Tax Havens and Overseas Job Transfers

On Monday President Obama announced that his administration intended to crack down on businesses and wealthy individuals who avoid paying taxes by transferring their money or jobs overseas. His plan, which he claims would raise $210 billion in taxes over the next 10 years, was announced on the White House blog and is described in greater detail in this White House press release. For a newspaper article on this topic, see the Washington Post.

You can also find the details of the plan on the Treasury Department's website. President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plan to reform the tax code by removing tax incentives for overseas investments and using some of that money to provide tax credits for "research and innovation in the United States." They also plan to crack down on tax havens for individuals and corporate subsidiaries. Both the White House and Treasury press releases cite a January 2009 U.S. General Accounting Office report stating that of the 100 largest U.S. corporations, 83 have subsidiaries in tax havens. This 63-page report is actually dated December 2008, and you can find it on the GAO's website.



For further resources, see our guide to Tax Forms and Information.

U.S. Government Issues Annual Reports on Terrorism

Which groups pose a threat to the United States? How effective are various regional governments in combating terror, and how is the U.S. contributing to their efforts? The U.S. Department of State addresses these issues in Country Reports on Terrorism 2008, which the State Department published on April 30.

The Country Reports on Terrorism (CRT) are created to comply with Title 22 of the U.S. Code, Section 2656f, which requires the State Department to submit to Congress "a full and complete annual report on terrorism for those countries and groups meeting the criteria of the Act." Past Country Reports on Terrorism can also be found on the State Department's website (in 2004 this series replaced Patterns of Global Terrorism).

In the CRT 2008 you can find overviews for world regions, information about state sponsors of terrorism, a list of U.S.-designated terrorist groups, and statistics from the National Counterterrorism Center. The NCC has also released a 2008 Report on Terrorism.

If you need additional resources, take a look at our 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 Latin America, trade, Navy, 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 OpenCRS:

• Airport Passenger Screening: Background and Issues for Congress
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5): Title V, Medicaid Provisions
• Assistance to North Korea
• Authoritative Resources on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
• China's Currency Peg: A Summary of the Economic Issues
• Competition in Federal Contracting: An Overview of the Legal Requirements
• Debt Limit: The Need for Increases
• Economic Stimulus: Issues and Policies
• Electric Power Transmission: Background and Policy Issues
• Energy Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5)
• Export-Import Bank: Background and Legislative Issues
• Federal Lands Provisions of Economic Stimulus Legislation (P.L. 111-5)
• Funding for Education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (PL 111-5)
• Health Care Reform: An Introduction
• Health Insurance Premium Assistance for the Unemployed: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Human Services Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Insolvency of Systemically Significant Companies: Bankruptcy vs. Conservatorship/Receivership
• Iran's Influence in Iraq
• Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations
• Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties
• Kuwait: Post-Saddam Issues and U.S. Policy
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
• Legal Issues Related to Funding for Religious Schools in P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• NATO Enlargement: Albania, Croatia, and Possible Future Candidates
• Navy CVNX Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Navy Ship Names: Background For Congress
• Oversight of High-Containment Biological Laboratories: Issues for Congress
• Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense -- Background and Issues for Congress
• Selected Health Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Stability in Russia's Chechnya and Other Regions of the North Caucasus: Recent Developments
• State Health Reform Strategies
• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2009 Appropriations
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options
• The Global Financial Crisis: Foreign and Trade Policy Effects
• The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq
• The Marines' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress
• The National Intelligence Council: Issues and Options for Congress
• The Potential Role of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant in the Recession Gene Falk
• U.S. Foreign Trade in Services: Definition, Patterns and Policy Challenges
• U.S.-Mexico Economic Relations: Trends, Issues, and Implications
• Unemployment and Health Insurance: Current Legislation and Issues
• Unemployment Insurance Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Water Infrastructure Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

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.

United Nations Web Site Updated

Happy Monday, for today's afternoon break why not check out the new United Nations web site? The new interface is designed to provide easier access to all the UN information you are used to finding on the old site. Here are some of the features:

• In a bar across the top is a list of some of the top issues the UN works with: Peace and Security, Development, Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs, and International Law. I like this setup because you no longer need to know who deals with these issues, you can instead click on these topics and get links directly to those organizations and news pages. My one complaint would be that Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs are two very related topics and for people looking for information on those areas they will have to go to both pages.
• The In Focus feature on the right lets you link directly to UN news on a particular issue that is in the news. For example, right now you can see news on Influenza A(H1N1), Situation in the Middle East, and Climate Change. Note this is not news from all sources, just UN information.
  
• There is an RSS feed to recent news from the UN news center, which covers all the UN organizations.
• Finally, there is an update to the Global Issues on the UN Agenda, now simply called Global Issues. I have encouraged people for years to use this resource to find out the UN organizations that are working on a particular topic. The redesign of this resource now includes an overview of the topic, such as Disarmament, as well as links to the UN agencies working on that issue.

I hope you have fun playing around in this new design, please leave comments on features you like or dislike on this entry. If you want more UN resources, check out the library's guide.

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 gender gap in wages, funding international students in higher education, and telecommunications. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Higher Education: Approaches to Attract and Fund International Students in the United States and Abroad. GAO-09-379, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-379
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09379high.pdf
• Telecommunications: Long-Term Strategic Vision Would Help Ensure Targeting of E-rate Funds to Highest Priority Uses. GAO-09-253, March 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-253
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09253high.pdf
• Women's Pay: Gender Pay Gap in the Federal Workforce Narrows as Differences in Occupation, Education, and Experience Diminish. GAO-09-279, March 17.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-279

Related Products & Special Publications

• The Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: March 2009 Update. GAO-09-405SP, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-405SP
• Telecommunications: Information on Participation in the E-rate Program (GAO-09-254SP, March 2009), an e-supplement to GAO-09-253. GAO-09-254SP, March 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-254SP

Correspondence

• Bureau of the Public Debt: Areas for Improvement in Information Security Controls. GAO-09-633R, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-633R
• Recovery Act: Consistent Policies Needed to Ensure Equal Consideration of Grant Applications. GAO-09-590R, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-590R
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Secure Border Initiative Fiscal Year 2009 Expenditure Plan. GAO-09-274R, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-274R

Testimonies

• Acquisition Workforce: DOD Can Improve Its Management and Oversight by Tracking Data on Contractor Personnel and Taking Additional Actions, by John K. Needham, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-616T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-616T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09616thigh.pdf
  
• Defense Acquisitions: Charting a Course for Lasting Reform, by Paul Francis, managing director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-663T, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-663T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09663thigh.pdf
• Financial Literacy and Education Commission: Progress Made in Fostering Partnerships, but National Strategy Remains Largely Descriptive Rather Than Strategic, by Richard J. Hillman, managing director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-09-638T, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-638T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09638thigh.pdf
• Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO-09-587T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-587T
• Health Resources and Services Administration: Many Underserved Areas Lack a Health Center Site, and Data Are Needed on Service Provision at Sites, by Cynthia A. Bascetta, director, health care, before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. GAO-09-667T, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-667T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09667thigh.pdf
• Information Technology: Management and Oversight of Projects Totaling Billions of Dollars Need Attention, by David Powner, director, information technology, before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-09-624T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-624T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09624thigh.pdf
• Recovering Servicemembers: DOD and VA Have Made Progress to Jointly Develop Required Policies but Additional Challenges Remain, by Randall B. Williamson, director, DOD and VA Health Care, Daniel Bertoni, director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, and Valerie C. Melvin, director, Information Management and Human Capital Issues, before the Subcommittee on Personnel, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-540T, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-540T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09540thigh.pdf
• Social Security Administration: Effective Information Technology Management Essential for Data Center Initiative, by Valerie C. Melvin, director, information management and human capital issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-09-662T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-662T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09662thigh.pdf
• Space Acquisitions: Government and Industry Partners Face Substantial Challenges in Developing New DOD Space Systems, by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-09-648T, April 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-648T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09648thigh.pdf
• Recovery Act: Initial Results on States' Use of and Accountability for Transportation Activities, by Katherine Siggerud, managing director, physical infrastructure, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-09-597T, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-597T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09597thigh.pdf
• USAID Acquisition and Assistance: Challenges Remain in Developing and Implementing a Strategic Workforce Plan, by Thomas Melito, director, international affairs and trade, before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-09-607T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-607T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09607thigh.pdf
  
• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options Available to the New Administration and Congress to Address Long-Standing Civil Rights Issues, by Lisa Shames, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry, House Committee on Agriculture. GAO-09-650T, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-650T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09650thigh.pdf
• VA Health Care: Challenges in Budget Formulation and Issues Surrounding the Proposal for Advance Appropriations, by Susan Irving, director, strategic issues, and Randall Williamson, director, health care, before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. GAO-09-664T, April 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-664T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09664thigh.pdf
• Women's Pay: Converging Characteristics of Men and Women in the Federal Workforce Help Explain the Narrowing Pay Gap, by Andrew Sherrill, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Joint Economic Committee. GAO-09-621T, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-621T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09621thigh.pdf
  

Reissued Product

• Bureau of the Public Debt: Areas for Improvement in Information Security Controls. GAO-09-633R, April 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-633R

Chrysler Declares Bankruptcy

Failing auto-maker Chrysler filed for bankruptcy Thursday, and the Obama administration has laid out a plan for the company's restructuring, which will include an alliance with Italian auto-maker Fiat. You can find the details of the restructuring plan on the Treasury Department's website. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, Chrysler plans to shut down six of its plants by the end of 2010.

The Free Press article states that Chrysler's bankruptcy will be the sixth largest in U.S. history. In the United States, bankruptcy is handled in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, whose website provides a guide to Bankruptcy Basics. To examine every detail of federal bankruptcy law as put forth in the U.S. Code, see Title 11.

For further resources, check out our guide to Business and Economics.