President Bush had a press conference today on economy and energy issues. You can read, watch, listen, or look at pictures of the conference online. If you want to read more about the President's energy policy you can check out their guide to energy.
Want to read the media analysis? For some different perspectives check out the Washington Post's "President Repeats First-Term Answers to Rising Gas Prices" and Fox News's "Bush Calls for More Measures to Aid Americans' Pocketbooks."
Want more? Check out the energy and business and economy guides.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
World Food Issues
Now anyone who has gone to the grocery store recently knows that food prices are on the rise. The Washington Post has started a new series on the "Global Food Crisis." So I thought I would highlight a few international sources of information on this topic:
- UN World Food Programme This is the United Nations organization that steps in and helps feed people who are faced with starvation. They also work to enable development in these countries. If you are interested in playing a game to donate rice the World Food Programme, check out the Free Rice web site.
- World Food Situation This site from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provides the latest news, numbers and reports on the materials that make up the world food supply.
- Crop Prospects and Food Situation This site from the FAO provides a quick report on the prospects of both the harvest and prices of the crops worldwide.
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 abstinence education, nanotechnolgy, homeland security, and drug safety. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.Reports
- Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Congress and Agencies Should Take Additional Steps to Reduce Substantial Shortfalls in Duty Collection. GAO-08-391, March 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-391
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08391high.pdf - Defense Infrastructure: Continued Management Attention Is Needed to Support Installation Facilities and Operations. GAO-08-502, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-502
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08502high.pdf - Homeland Security: Enhanced National Guard Readiness for Civil Support Missions May Depend on DOD's Implementation of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. GAO-08-311, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-311
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08311high.pdf - Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance: DOD Can Better Assess and Integrate ISR Capabilities and Oversee Development of Future ISR Requirements. GAO-08-374, March 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-374
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08374high.pdf - Nanotechnology: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure Accurate Reporting of Federal Research Focused on Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks. GAO-08-402, March 31.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-402
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08402high.pdf - Space Acquisitions: DOD Is Making Progress to Rapidly Deliver Low Cost Space Capabilities, but Challenges Remain. GAO-08-516, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-516
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08516high.pdf
- Highways and Environment: Transportation Agencies Are Acting to Involve Others in Planning and Environmental Decisions. GAO-08-512R, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-512R - International Boundary and Water Commission: Two Alternatives for Improving Wastewater Treatment at the United States-Mexico Border. GAO-08-595R, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-595R
- Abstinence Education: Assessing the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs. GAO-08-664T, April 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-664T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08664thigh.pdf - Drug Safety: Preliminary Findings Suggest Recent FDA Initiatives Have Potential, but Do Not Fully Address Weaknesses in Its Foreign Drug Inspection Program. GAO-08-701T, April 22.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-701T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08701thigh.pdf - Export Controls: State and Commerce Have Not Taken Basic Steps to Better Ensure U.S. Interests Are Protected, by Ann Marie Calvaresi Barr, director, acquisition and sourcing management, 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-08-710T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-710T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08710thigh.pdf - Federal Records: Agencies Face Challenges in Managing E-Mail. GAO-08-699T, April 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-699T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08699thigh.pdf - Human Capital: Workforce Diversity Governmentwide and at the Small Business Administration. GAO-08-725T, April 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-725T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08725thigh.pdf - Nanotechnology: Accuracy of Data on Federally Funded Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Could Be Improved, by Robert A. Robinson, managing director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. GAO-08-709T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-709T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08709thigh.pdf - NASA: Challenges in Completing and Sustaining the International Space Station, by Cristina T. Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, House Committee on Science and Technology. GAO-08-581T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-581T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08581thigh.pdf - National Transportation Safety Board: Progress Made in Management Practices, Investigation Priorities, Training Center Use, and Information Security, But These Areas Continue to Need Improvement. GAO-08-652T, April 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-652T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08652thigh.pdf - Residential Facilities: State and Federal Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Well-Being, by Kay E. Brown, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the House Committee on Education and Labor. GAO-08-696T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-696T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08696thigh.pdf - Residential Programs: Selected Cases of Death, Abuse, and Deceptive Marketing, by Gregory D. Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, before the House Committee on Education and Labor. [Link to audio recording of undercover phone calls demonstrating deceptive marketing practices on page 5.] GAO-08-713T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-713T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08713thigh.pdf - Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Improving the Cost-Effectiveness of Filling the Reserve, by Franklin W. Rusco, acting director, natural resources and environment, before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. GAO-08-726T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-726T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08726thigh.pdf
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Galaxies Explode!
Friday has arrived and I thought rather then end the week with something on the edifying side I would instead provide you all with some pretty pictures. NASA released (yesterday) some pictures of galaxies colliding to celebrate the 18th birthday of the Hubble telescope. The picture to the left is of "Arp 148 is nicknamed Mayall's object and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, approximately 500 million light-years away" (from the Hubblesite).
Want to look at some resources with those pictures? Why not check out the Astronomy and Space library guide.
Congressional Research Service Reports
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us CRS reports on the China, Navy, social security, and much more. While 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 and OpenCRS:
Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.
- Science and Technology Policymaking: A Primer
- Information Security and Data Breach Notification Safeguards
- Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives
- Data Mining and Homeland Security: An Overview
- Security Implications of Taiwan’s Presidential Election of March 2008
- China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities -- Background and Issues for Congress
- Social Security Reform: Possible Effects on the Elderly Poor and Mitigation Options
- Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Oversight Issues and Options for Congress
- Navy Attack Submarine Force-Level Goal and Procurement Rate: Background and Issues for Congress
- Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Drought: Species and Ecosystem Management
- Summary of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Tibet: Problems, Prospects, and U.S. Policy
- Food Price Inflation: Causes and Impacts
- East Asia's Foreign Exchange Rate Policies
- Navy DD(X) and LCS Ship Acquisition Programs: Oversight Issues and Options for Congress
- District of Columbia v. Heller: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment
Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.
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