Press release: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported findings today from the first and largest summary of prevalence data from multiple U.S. communities participating in an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) surveillance project. The results showed an average of 6.7 children out of 1,000 had an ASD in the six communities assessed in… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: February 2007
New Bill Introduced Prohibiting Cloned Products From Organic Labeling
Follow up to December 28, 2006 posting, FDA Issues Draft Documents on the Safety of Animal Clones, a related report and Congressional news: Is the FDA’s Cloning Proposal Ready for Prime Time?, An Organic Center Critical Issue Report, by James Riddle, January 2007. Press release: “Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) Thursday introduced… Continue Reading
Hearing Questions Management of Homeland Security Contracts
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, February 8, 2007: “The hearing focused on the Department of Homeland Securitys management of large contracts that rely on private contractors as system integrators. The Committee focused on two examples of multi-billion dollar contracts: the Deepwater program to develop new ships for the Coast Guard and the Secure… Continue Reading
GAO Report on Federal Oversight of Food Safety
Federal Oversight of Food Safety: High-Risk Designation Can Bring Needed Attention to Fragmented System, full text GAO-07-449T, and Highlights, February 8, 2007. “Each year, about 76 million people contract a foodborne illness in the United States; about 325,000 require hospitalization; and about 5,000 die. While the recent E. coli outbreaks highlighted the risks posed by… Continue Reading
New Rule on FOIA Processing Fee Imposes Burdens According to National Security Archive
National Security Archive: “The CIA’s proposed new rule on Freedom of Information Act processing fees is likely to discourage FOIA requesters while imposing new administrative burdens both on the Agency and the public, according to formal comments filed with the CIA [February 7, 2007] by the National Security Archive of George Washington University. The Archive’s… Continue Reading
Senate Judiciary Committee Reverses Plan to Circumvent Senate Confirmation of U.S. Attorneys'
Press release: “The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee [February 8, 2008] approved a measure sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Arlen Specter, Patrick Leahy, and Chuck Schumer that would prevent the circumvention of the Senate’s constitutional prerogative to confirm U.S. Attorneys. Under a provision inserted without notice into the USA Patriot Act reauthorization last year, the… Continue Reading
Health Care Provider Refusals to Treat, Prescribe, Refer or Inform: Professionalism and Conscience
Health Care Provider Refusals to Treat, Prescribe, Refer or Inform: Professionalism and Conscience – by R. Alta Charo, February 8, 2007 In this issue brief, Professor Charo examines the debates surrounding health care provider refusals to provide health care services…She analyzes the ethical arguments that have been offered in support of provider refusals and gives… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Justice Alito's Perspective on the Court's Calendar
Alito Recaps First Year on High Court, by Tony Mauro, Legal Times, February 7, 2007 [no fee or registration re’d] “Alito, like many other Court-watchers, has a hard time explaining why the Court is taking and deciding so few cases. With the announcement Monday of the Court’s April argument calendar, it appears that the Court… Continue Reading
Medicaid and Child Health Care Fact Sheets
“The 2007 State Medicaid Fact Sheets, a joint effort of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), provide key data to demonstrate the importance of the Medicaid program to children and children’s hospitals. The fact sheets can be used with state and federal policymakers and can be adapted… Continue Reading
FBI Launches E-Mail Alerts on Public Website
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a service that sends out electronic mail (e-mail) alerts when new and vital information is posted on the FBI.gov Web site. Subscribers select which topics that they want updates on, such as new electronic scams (e-scams) and warnings, most wanted terrorists, top ten fugitives, and local and… Continue Reading
Defense Information Systems Agency Plans Enhanced White House Communications Network
Federal Computer Week: “The White House Communications Agency (WHCA) has developed a six-year plan budgeted at $35 million to beef up presidential communications with a new top-secret network and multimedia Crisis Management System (CMS) designed to operate in a wide range of fixed locations, on Air Force One and on a new fleet of presidential… Continue Reading
DHS OIG Audit of BioWatch Program
DHS’ Management of BioWatch Program, OIG-07-22 (PDF, 30 pages), January 7, 2007. Related government documents: Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-18, January 31, 2007 – Released on January 7, 2007 – Subject: Medical Countermeasures against Weapons of Mass Destruction The BioWatch Program: Detection of Bioterrorism, Congressional Research Service Report No. RL32152, November 19, 2003 See also the… Continue Reading
