House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Holds Hearing on Defense Department Acquisitions: “The hearing will examine the recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) titled, Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs. This report found that the Defense Departments 95 major weapons acquisition programs currently exceed their original budgets by nearly $300 billion dollars… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2008
DOE OIG Audit: Management Controls over Defense Related High Risk Property
Management Controls over Defense Related High Risk Property, OAS-M-08-06 April 2008: “Los Alamos and Sandia had effective administrative controls in place over the accountability of firearms, including formal inventories, adequate documentation, and proper segregation of duties. However, administrative controls over other defense related high risk property such as firearm barrels, body armor, and gas masks… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Global HIV/AIDS, Toxic Chemicals, Chemical Assessments
Global HIV/AIDS: A More Country-Based Approach Could Improve Allocation of PEPFAR Funding, GAO-08-480, April 02, 2008 Toxic Chemicals: EPA’s New Assessment Process Will Increase Challenges EPA Faces in Evaluating and Regulating Chemicals, GAO-08-743T, April 29, 2008 Chemical Assessments: Low Productivity and New Interagency Review Process Limit the Usefulness and Credibility of EPA’s Integrated Risk Information… Continue Reading
DHS Announces New Aviation Security and Traveler Screening Enhancements
News release: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today improvements aimed at strengthening aviation security while decreasing the hassle factor for travelers. Among the key improvements, DHS is providing airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely who have been unable to do so because they have a name similar to… Continue Reading
Finding the Balance: Reducing Border Costs While Strengthening Security
“Canada and the United States enjoy a special relationship that has been built on shared values developed through the long history of family, friends, and visitors who live on both sides of the border. It facilitates the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world, with approximately $1.5 billion USD in twoway trade crossing the border… Continue Reading
Control, Intimidation and Harassment of Lawyers in China
News release: “Chinese lawyers who take cases seen by the government as politically sensitive or potentially embarrassing face severe abuses ranging from harassment to disbarment and physical assaults, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today…The 142-page report, Walking on Thin Ice: Control, Intimidation and Harassment of Lawyers in China, details consistent patterns… Continue Reading
DHS Unveils Small Vessel Security Strategy
News release: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today a new Small Vessel Security Strategy (SVSS) designed to close security gaps and reduce risks associated with the potential exploitation of small maritime vessels. The SVSS identifies specific goals for which security efforts can achieve the greatest impact without excessive imposition upon the freedom… Continue Reading
Recent CRS Reports: Africa Command, High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse, Iraq, Pakistan-U.S. Relations, Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege
Via Secrecy News, Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa, updated March 10, 2008 High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments, updated March 26, 2008 Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes, April 15, 2008 Iraq: Regional… Continue Reading
New E-Gov Site: fueleconomy.gov
www.fueleconomy.gov helps consumers make informed fuel economy choices when purchasing a vehicle and helps them achieve the best fuel economy possible from the cars they own…it is maintained jointly by the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The site helps fulfill DOE and EPAs… Continue Reading
SIGIR – Transferring Reconstruction Projects to the Government of Iraq: Some Progress Made but Further Improvements Needed to Avoid Waste
Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) Transferring Reconstruction Projects to the Government of Iraq: Some Progress Made but Further Improvements Needed to Avoid Waste, April 28, 2008: “U.S. agencies involved in reconstruction activities have taken steps to improve the asset transfer policies, plans, and processes, but further actions are needed to… Continue Reading
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006, Volumes I and II
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006, Volumes I and II (Note: 1125 pages, PDF). Senate Print 110-40, April 2008. “The country reports on human rights practices contained herein were prepared by the Department of State in accordance with sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. They also… Continue Reading
Bureau of Justice Statistics: Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2004
“Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2004 – Presents data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in the nation’s 75 largest counties during May 2004. Murder cases were tracked for up to 2 years and all other cases for 1 year to provide a complete overview of the processing of felony defendants… Continue Reading
