From FAS, this link to a new CRS report, National Security Whistleblowers, December 30, 2005 (47 pages, PDF): “To discharge its constitutional duties, Congress depends on information obtained from the executive branch. Domestic and national security information is provided through agency reports and direct communications from department heads, but lawmakers also receive information directly from… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2006
SEC Issues Statement Concerning Financial Penalties
Commission Announcement, January 4, 2005: “Today the Commission announced the filing of two settled actions against corporate issuers, SEC v. McAfee, Inc. (filing, 42 pages, PDF) and In the Matter of Applix, Inc. In one, the company will pay a civil money penalty; in the other, a penalty is not part of the settlement. The… Continue Reading
New Generation E-Book Reader May Find Market Niche
The new Sony Reader, weighing in at only 9 ounces with a thickness of 1/2 inch, and the size of a paperback, looks like a gadget whose time may have finally come. Although ebooks have been available for 10 years now from a range of organizations and libraries, for free and for a fee, the… Continue Reading
Professional Qualifications of Judge Alito Evaluated by ABA and Law Professors
ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary rating of professional qualifications of Samuel A. Alito – January 4, 2006 Also from the ABA: Investigations of Supreme Court Nominees: This is a one-page summary highlighting the special investigative procedures followed by the Committee when evaluating a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ratings of Article III Judicial… Continue Reading
D.C. to Launch Web Based Emergency Response Center in March
According to ComputerWorld, “The District of Columbia is poised to switch on a new system designed to allow emergency response command centers in Washington and surrounding areas to coordinate responses to natural disasters and terrorist attacks using Web services.” Continue Reading
Wikipedia Continues to Generate Headlines
The Wikipedia controversy continues to generate a range of opinions and commentary on the future direction and content of the open source, collaborative online encyclopedia. Prevailing wisdom: it is always advisable to locate, read and evaluate more than one source for all research, whether conducted online, or using TV, radio, or print sources. Carefully review… Continue Reading
IRS Provided With Political Affiliations of Tax Delinquents
AP reports IRS to Strip Political Info From Databases: The contractor that provides the IRS with online data for tax collection purposes has been including information about citizens’ political affiliation, mined from voter registration records. As noted in the article however, “IRS employees are prohibited from using political party affiliation when enforcing tax laws.” Continue Reading
First Anniversary Review of UK Freedom of Information Act
Rob Evans of the UK Guardian documents the challenges encountered by citizens, and the responses of government officials, to the Freedom of Information Act during this first year since it entered into force. [m.r.] Related references, also from the UK Guardian: The Freedom of Information Act forced the downfall of Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie… Continue Reading
Stanford Releases 2005 Report on Securities Law Fraud
The Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse issued a press release yesterday on the number of securites fraud class actions filed in 2005. The study identifies a decline in the number of suits and investor losses in 2005, compared to previous years. The full report, Securities Class Action Case Filings, 2005: A Year in… Continue Reading
Objections Conveyed to White House On Limited Scope of NSA Briefings
AP reports that House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat, Rep. Jane Harman sent a letter to the White House stating the limited scope of NSA briefings on domestic surveillance, provided only to select members of Congress, did not comply with the National Security Act. Related references: “EPIC has obtained the first Freedom of Information Act documents… Continue Reading
US Attorney Discusses Patriot Act in White House Online Forum
Today Ken Wainstein, United States Attorney, District of Columbia, discussed the use and reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act on the Ask the White House online forum. Related resource: Search and analyze the text from the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56), from AskSam Continue Reading
E-Rulemaking Initiatives Stalled For Lack of Funding
As reported by OMB Watch, funding for the eRulemaking Program Management Office (PMO) expires February 2006. A determination has been made to allocate available funds to maintain operation of the Federal Docket Management System, (Regulations.gov), although the program is acknowledged to fall far short of an example of a successful e-gov implementation. Continue Reading
