CIA releases historic previously classified documents

The CIA released two collections today, they are described on their web site this way:

• The first collection, widely known as the "Family Jewels," consists of almost 700 pages of responses from CIA employees to a 1973 directive from Director of Central Intelligence James Schlesinger asking them to report activities they thought might be inconsistent with the Agency's charter.
• The second collection, the CAESAR-POLO-ESAU papers, consists of 147 documents and 11,000 pages of in-depth analysis and research from 1953 to 1973. The CAESAR and POLO papers studied Soviet and Chinese leadership hierarchies, respectively, and the ESAU papers were developed by analysts to inform CIA assessments on Sino-Soviet relations.

This is a historic release of material that had been discussed widely by news media in the 70s, but has never been freely available.

Want to see what else the CIA has to offer? Check out their redesigned electronic reading room.

Want to read more? Check out the Washington Post article "CIA releases Top-Secret Documents."

Still not enough? Check out the library's guide to declassified documents.

GAO Reports for the week

Oops, Monday afternoon and you missed your GAO reports from last week, so here they are just a little late. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as the homeland security, federal workplace, and wetlands. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy: Additional Efforts Would Help Social Security Improve Outreach and Measure Program Effects. GAO-07-555, May 31. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-555
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07555high.pdf
• Nuclear Waste: Plans for Addressing Most Buried Transuranic Wastes Are Not Final, and Preliminary Cost Estimates Will Likely Increase. GAO-07-761, June 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-761
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07761high.pdf
• Social Security Numbers: Federal Actions Could Further Decrease Availability in Public Records, though Other Vulnerabilities Remain. GAO-07-752, June 15.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-752
• Influenza Pandemic: Efforts to Forestall Onset Are Under Way; Identifying Countries at Greatest Risk Entails Challenges. GAO-07-604, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-604
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07604high.pdf
• Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Establish a Strategy and Improve Transparency over Reserve and National Guard Compensation to Manage Significant Growth in Cost. GAO-07-828, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-828
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07828high.pdf
  
• Defense Contracting: Use of Undefinitized Contract Actions Understated and Definitization Time Frames Often Not Met. GAO-07-559, June 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-559
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07559high.pdf
• Federal Research: Policies Guiding the Dissemination of Scientific Research from Selected Agencies Should Be Clarified and Better Communicated. GAO-07-653, May 17.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-653
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07653high.pdf
  
• Science and Technology: Information on Federal Programs and Interagency Efforts That Support Small Businesses Engaged in Manufacturing. GAO-07-714, May 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-714
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07714high.pdf
  
• United Nations Organizations: Oversight and Accountability Could Be Strengthened by Further Instituting International Best Practices. GAO-07-597, June 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-597
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07597high.pdf
  
• Compacts of Free Association: Trust Funds for Micronesia and the Marshall Islands May Not Provide Sustainable Income. GAO-07-513, June 15.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-513
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07513high.pdf
  
• Coast Guard: Challenges Affecting Deepwater Asset Deployment and Management and Efforts to Address Them. GAO-07-874, June 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-874
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07874high.pdf
• Financial Regulators: Agencies Have Implemented Key Performance Management Practices, but Opportunities for Improvement Exist. GAO-07-678, June 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-678
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07678high.pdf

Correspondence

• Federal Home Loan Banks: Too Soon to Tell the Potential Impact of Excess Stock Rule on the Affordable Housing Program. GAO-07-878R, June 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-878R
• PBGC's Legal Support: Improvements Needed to Eliminate Confusion and Ensure Provision of Consistent Advice. GAO-07-757R, May 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-757R

Testimonies

• Mortgage Financing: Seller-Funded Down-Payment Assistance Changes the Structure of the Purchase Transaction and Negatively Affects Loan Performance, by William B. Shear, director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, House Committee on Financial Services. GAO-07-1033T, June 22.http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1033T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071033thigh.pdf
• Medicare Part D: CMS's Process and Policy for Enrolling New Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries, by Kathleen M. King, director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-07-1022T, June 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1022T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071022thigh.pdf
  
• Social Security Numbers: Use is Widespread and Protection Could Be Improved, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-07-1023T, June 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1023T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071023thigh.pdf
• Public Housing: Information on the Financing, Oversight, and Effects of the HOPE VI Program, by David G. Wood, director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. GAO-07-1025T, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1025T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071025thigh.pdf
  
• World Trade Center: Preliminary Observations on EPA's Second Program to Address Indoor Contamination, by John B. Stephenson, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. GAO-07-806T, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-806T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07806thigh.pdf
  
• Inspectors General: Proposals to Strengthen Independence and Accountability, by Jeffrey C. Steinhoff, managing director, financial management and assurance, before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-07-1021T, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1021T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071021thigh.pdf
  
• Guard and Reserve Personnel: Fiscal, Security, and Human Capital Challenges Should be Considered in Developing a Revised Business Model for the Reserve Component, by David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, before the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves. GAO-07-984, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-984
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07984high.pdf
  
• Information Security: Homeland Security Needs to Enhance Effectiveness of Its Program, by Keith A. Rhodes, chief technologist, and Gregory C. Wilshusen, director, information security issues, before the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-07-1003T, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1003T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071003thigh.pdf
  
• Homeland Security: Guidance from Operations Directorate Will Enhance Collaboration among Departmental Operations Centers, by Eileen R. Larence, director, homeland security and justice issues, before the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-07-683T, June 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-683T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07683thigh.pdf
• Health Information Technology: Efforts Continue but Comprehensive Privacy Approach Needed for National Strategy, by Linda D. Koontz and Valerie C. Melvin, directors, information management issues, before the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-07-988T, June 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-988T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07988thigh.pdf
  
• Border Patrol: Costs and Challenges Related to Training New Agents, by Richard M. Stana, director, homeland security and justice issues, before the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-07-997T, June 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-997T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07997thigh.pdf
  
• Wildland Fire Management: A Cohesive Strategy and Clear Cost-Containment Goals Are Needed for Federal Agencies to Manage Wildland Fire Activities Effectively, by Robin M. Nazzaro, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, House Committee on Natural Resources. GAO-07-1017T, June 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1017T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d071017thigh.pdf

New Ozone Regulations forthcoming

The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to revise the ground-level ozone standards for the US, the new stricter standards will be the first revision since 1997 (from press release). Interested in seeing how your town ranks in the current standards? Check out these local maps from the EPA. Not all towns are monitored, but here in Colorado you can see data for the Denver metro area from 1990 to 2006.

Want to read more about this announcement? Check out the Washington Post article "EPA Announces Proposal for Stricter Ozone Standards: Call for Tougher Rules Sets Up a Battle With Business, Industry Groups."

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

Fun facts about the White House

To counteract my earlier post on governance issues at the Smithsonian, I thought I would highlight a few fun factoids on the history of the White House.

First, did you know that the White House went by a variety of names until 1901 when President Theodore Roosevelt declared the official name of "White House." Theodore Roosevelt was also the first president to travel outside the United States. These fun facts are from the White House Facts page.

There are other sources for fun facts though, such as the Rutherford B. Hayes page which announces that he was President when the first telephone was installed in 1879.

You can also view tours and photo essays on the White House History and Tours page.

If you want additional information on the president, check out the library's guide.

Investigation of Smithsonian under former Secretary Lawrence Small

The Smithsonian launched an independent commission investigation of the institution under former Secretary Lawrence Small. The final report and exhibits are available at the Washington Post. This report concluded Small "created an imperialistic and insular culture" that limited the flow of information to the Board of Regents, which is supposed to oversee the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian has revised the governance practices of the Board of Regents in order to address some of the problems brought up under Small's administration. You can read all about the new governance setup as well as a report on why these changes are needed on the Smithsonian web site.

Want to read more about the report on Small and the second ranking official Sheila P. Burke (who resigned today)? Check out the Washington Post article "Report Slams Small's Tenure."

Want to look at the historic documents that the Smithsonian and other agencies provide for free online? Check out the library's guide.