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
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Monthly Archives: July 2007
Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction Audit – Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Task Order 130: Requirements Validation, Government Oversight, and Contractor Performance
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
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.
“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
Problems With FBI Use of NSL Revealed in New FOI Document Release
EFF press release: “…The FBI’s use of NSLs was expanded under the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001, allowing federal agents to gather private records about anyone’s domestic phone calls, emails, and financial transactions without any court approval — as long as an FBI agent claims that the information could be related to a terrorism or… Continue Reading
White House Conference on the Americas
White House Conference on the Americas – July 9, 2007 Remarks by President Bush in a Conversation on the Americas Mrs. Bush Announces the Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research of the Americas Fact Sheet: White House Conference on the Americas Special Briefing with Thomas Shannon on the Upcoming White House Conference on the… Continue Reading
"I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy
“In this short essay, written for a symposium in the San Diego Law Review, Professor Daniel Solove examines the “nothing to hide” argument. When asked about government surveillance and data mining, many people respond by declaring: “I’ve got nothing to hide.” According to the “nothing to hide” argument, there is no threat to privacy unless… Continue Reading
NYC "Ring Of Steel" Surveillance Plan Raises Major Privacy Concerns
Press release: “The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on the City of New York to ensure that any new surveillance plan for New York City is subject to public input and external oversight mechanisms and includes significant privacy protections to prevent abuse. The NYCLU’s call came in response to today’s disclosure that the… Continue Reading
DOD OIG Post-Payment Review and Analysis of Procurement
D-2007-110 Identification and Reporting of Improper Payments through Recovery Auditing (July 9, 2007) (Project D2006-D000FJ-0156.001) PDF and Summary. “Recovery auditing is a post-payment review and analysis of procurement and payment documents that DoD Components use to identify overpayments to contractors. For FY 2006 DoD reported it successfully used recovery audits to identify nearly $200 million… Continue Reading
Google Purchases Online Security Firm Postini
Press release: “Google Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Postini, a global leader in on-demand communications security and compliance solutions serving more than 35,000 businesses and 10 million users worldwide. Postini’s services — which include message security, archiving, encryption, and policy enforcement — can be used to protect a… Continue Reading
GAO Report Released Today Critical of National Weather Service Operations Prototype
Weather Forecasting: National Weather Service’s Operations Prototype Needs More Rigorous Planning. GAO-07-650, June 8, 2007. “Using advanced systems and trained specialists located in 122 weather forecast offices throughout the country, the National Weather Service (NWS) provides storm and flood warnings and weather forecasts to protect life and property and to enhance the national economy. To… Continue Reading
MotherJones Examines Role of Web 2.0 in Political Campaigns
“Open-source politics is the idea that social networking and participatory technologies will revolutionize our ability to follow, support, and influence political campaigns. Forget party bosses in smoky backroomsnetroots evangelists and web consultants predict a wave of popular democracy as fundraisers meet on MySpace, YouTubers crank out attack ads, bloggers do oppo research, and cell-phone-activated flash… Continue Reading
