Press release: “The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has launched a consultation process within the European Network of Ombudsmen on access to information contained in databases. This follows a complaint from a Danish journalist about the refusal of the European Commission to disclose data on beneficiaries of EU agricultural subsidies. The Commission justified its refusal… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2008
Secretary Kempthorne Announces Decision to Protect Polar Bears under Endangered Species Act
News release: “Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne…announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens… Continue Reading
EPIC Report: – REAL ID Implementation Review: Few Benefits, Staggering Costs
“At a REAL ID Workshop at the Berkman Center, EPIC today released a new report on the Department of Homeland Securitys national identification proposal, the REAL ID system. “May 11, 2008 is the statutory deadline for implementation of the REAL ID system. Yet on this date, not one State is in compliance with the federal… Continue Reading
Report Examining Public Health, Safety, and Security for Mass Gatherings
Committee on Homeland Security Majority Staff Report Examining: Public Health, Safety, and Security for Mass Gatherings, May 2008 (64 pages, PDF). “Mass gatherings pose special challenges in terms of management and control, especially considering their value as targets for terrorism and other crimes. The terrorist goal of attacking cities in order to kill and injure… Continue Reading
CDT: Legislation Needed to Correct Widespread Errors in use of National Security Letters
CDT Policy Post 14.5: National Security Letters: “Widespread errors in the use of National Security Letters requires legislative action, says a Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) paper released today. The documents are used by the FBI when seeking records containing sensitive personal information. Successive Inspector General reports have uncovered abuses and mistakes by the… Continue Reading
ODNI Launches New Web Site
News release: “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) today launched a redesigned Web site featuring expanded content, improved navigation tools, and a new digital subscription service. The site’s fresh content includes a Frequently Asked Questions section and a gallery of photographs suitable for use by news organizations. Both are supported by an… Continue Reading
Report: Capping Co2 Emissions, Boosting Energy Costs
H. Sterling Burnett and D. Sean Shurtleff, Capping CO2 Emissions, Boosting Energy Costs, National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No. 617, May 13, 2008. “Bills recently introduced in Congress would control greenhouse gas emissions through cap-and-trade schemes. They would place an upper limit, or cap, on the overall level of emissions, and then distribute… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Medical Devices, Health Savings Accounts, U.S.-China Trade
Medical Devices: FDA Faces Challenges in Conducting Inspections of Foreign Manufacturing Establishments, GAO-08-780T, May 14, 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture: Management of Civil Rights Efforts Continues to Be Deficient Despite Years of Attention, GAO-08-755T, May 14, 2008 Health Savings Accounts: Participation Grew, and Many HSA-Eligible Plan Enrollees Did Not Open HSAs while Individuals Who Did… Continue Reading
Fact Sheet: Emergency Supplemental – Iraq, Afghanistan, Veterans and Workers
Fact Sheet: Emergency Supplemental: Iraq, Afghanistan, Veterans and Workers, Prepared by the Majority Staff of the House Appropriations Committee, May 14, 2008: “Tomorrow the House of Representatives will consider the emergency supplemental bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and pressing domestic needs. Under consideration are $183.9 billion in outstanding requests from the… Continue Reading
Healthcare Inspection Evaluation of Quality Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities Fiscal Year 2007
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General: Healthcare Inspection Evaluation of Quality Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities Fiscal Year 2007 [07-00060-126] Continue Reading
Consumer Price Index April 2008
Consumer Price Index News Release, May 14, 2008: “The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent in April, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The April level of 214.823 (1982-84=100) was 3.9 percent higher than in April 2007.” Continue Reading
Recent CRS Reports: Congress's Contempt Power, U.S.-French Commercial Ties, Strategic Airlift Modernization
Via Secrecy News: Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations, May 5, 2008 Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes, updated May 8, 2008: Director of National Intelligence Statutory Authorities: Status and Proposals, updated April 17, 2008 Congress’s Contempt Power: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure,” updated April 15, 2008 Navy LPD-17 Amphibious… Continue Reading
