Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

You Are Here: Home » Archives: July 2007

Daily Archives: July 10, 2007

White House Claims Executive Privilege as Congressional Investigation into U.S. Attorney Firings Continues

by on

Press release: “The White House sent a letter [July 9, 2007] to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reiterating its assertion of executive privilege in response to congressional subpoenas, but declining to provide a complete basis for its assertion. Chairman Leahy’s comment on the letter.”

  • Attorney for former White House counsel Harriet Miers states in letter to House Judiciary Chair Rep. John Conyers that his client will “comply” with the “assertion of executive privilege” by President Bush.
  • Remarks Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On The U.S. Attorney Investigation, U.S. Senate Floor, July 9, 2007: “…From the outset of this scandal the President has spoken about the firing of U.S. attorneys as if it were a matter handled and decided by the Attorney General and something Mr. Gonzales would have to explain to Congress and the American people…When we had the Attorney General testify under oath, he did not know who added U.S. attorneys to the list of those to be fired or the reasons they were added. Indeed, the bottom line of the sworn testimony from the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Attorney General’s former Chief of Staff, the White House liaison and other senior Justice Department officials was that, while the President was not involved in the decision-making that led to the unprecedented firings of several well-performing prosecutors, they were not responsible either…”
  • Q&A About Contempt of Congress – AP: “Congress and the White House appear headed for a showdown over President Bush’s decision to invoke executive privilege to deny documents to House and Senate committees and prevent former aides from testifying about the firing of U.S. attorneys.”

    • Government Oversight Committee Hearing on the Surgeon General's Vital Mission

    by on

    “On Tuesday, July 10, the Committee held a hearing focusing on the importance of the Surgeon General’s Office, the need to preserve the Surgeon General’s independence, and recent limitations on the Surgeon General’s ability to carry out its public health education mission.” The Surgeon General’s Vital Mission: Challenges for the Future – Chairman Waxman’s Opening… Continue Reading

    International Journal of Electronic Governance

    by on

    “International publisher Inderscience is pleased to announce the publication of the first issue of International Journal of Electronic Governance. The journal focuses on the use of electronic and information technologies in deliberation over democratic policy and decision making processes, community governance as well as governance in non-political domains such as corporate, open project, online community… Continue Reading

    GAO Review of DHS Critical Infrastructure Plans Finds Continued Vulnerabilities

    by on

    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Sector Plans and Sector Councils Continue to Evolve, GAO-07-706R, July 10, 2007. “In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, damaging critical infrastructure, such as oil platforms, pipelines, and refineries; water mains; electric power lines; and cellular phone towers. The infrastructure damage and resulting chaos disrupted government and business functions alike, producing… Continue Reading

    FTC Spam Summit: The Next Generation of Threats and Solutions

    by on

    Spam Summit: The Next Generation of Threats and Solutions: “A two-day conference that will bring together experts from the business, government, and technology sectors, consumer advocates, and academics to explore consumer protection issues surrounding spam, phishing and malware. The agenda and a list of participants can be found here.” Continue Reading

    Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Cuts Funds for VP's Office

    by on

    Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government today approved SGW 112, “A bill making appropriations for the Department of the Treasury, District of Columbia, The Judiciary, Executive Office of the President and related agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes…” Durbin Moves to Withhold Funding… Continue Reading

    New Version of OSCAR Improves Law Clerk Application Process

    by on

    The Third Branch: “A new version of OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, is now available to law schools, clerkship applicants, and judges nationwide. The upgrade incorporates several new features that promise to make the system even easier to use. Nationwide, over 750 federal appellate, district, bankruptcy, and magistrate judges use OSCAR… Continue Reading

    Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction Audit – Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Task Order 130: Requirements Validation, Government Oversight, and Contractor Performance

    by on

    Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Task Order 130: Requirements Validation, Government Oversight, and Contractor Performance, June 22, 2007 (71 pages, PDF) “The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) performed a review, at the request of the Management Counselor, U.S. Embassy-Iraq, to determine whether the U.S. government is receiving the services paid for under the U.S.… Continue Reading

    DOE Report: Short-Term Energy Outlook July 2007

    by on

    Short-Term Energy Outlook July 2007 (07/10/2007) – “Quarterly short-term energy projections for supply, demand, and price for the major fuels through 2008 for the U.S. International oil forecasts are included.” Annual Oil Market Chronology 2006 (07/09/2007) – “For information about the latest developments in world oil markets, please see the updated Annual Oil Market Chronology.… Continue Reading

    USGS Report Identifies Asbestos Localities in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S.

    by on

    “A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contains a regional map and associated database that inventory 61 locations of reported natural asbestos and fibrous amphibole occurrences in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States, including the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The map is based on a search… Continue Reading