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Daily Archives: October 29, 2009

New GAO Reports: Federal Student Aid, DHS Financial Mangement Systems, PBGC, Aviation Security

  • Federal Student Aid: Highlights of a Study Group on Simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, GAO-10-29, October 29, 2009
  • Financial Management Systems: DHS Faces Challenges to Successfully Consolidate Its Existing Disparate Systems, GAO-10-210T, October 29, 2009
  • Formerly Used Defense Sites: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Needs to Improve Its Process for Reviewing Completed Cleanup Remedies to Ensure Continued Protection, GAO-10-46, October 29, 2009
  • Information Security: Concerted Effort Needed to Improve Federal Performance Measures, GAO-10-159T, October 29, 2009
  • International Food Assistance: A U.S. Governmentwide Strategy Could Accelerate Progress toward Global Food Security, GAO-10-212T, October 29, 2009
  • Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Workers and Retirees Experience Delays and Uncertainty when Underfunded Plans Are Terminated, GAO-10-181T, October 29, 2009
  • Public Transportation: Federal Project Approval Process Remains a Barrier to Greater Private Sector Role and DOT Could Enhance Efforts to Assist Project Sponsors, GAO-10-19, October 29, 2009
  • School Facilities: Physical Conditions in School Districts Receiving Impact Aid for Students Residing on Indian Lands, GAO-10-32, October 29, 2009
  • Warfighter Support: Actions Needed to Improve Visibility and Coordination of DOD’s Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Efforts, GAO-10-95, October 29, 2009
  • Warfighter Support: Challenges Confronting DOD’s Ability to Coordinate and Oversee Its Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Efforts, GAO-10-186T, October 29, 2009
  • Aviation Security: DHS and TSA Have Researched, Developed, and Begun Deploying Passenger Checkpoint Screening Technologies, but Continue to Face Challenges, GAO-10-128, October 07, 2009
  • Information Security: Concerted Effort Needed to Improve Federal Performance Measures, GAO-09-617, September 14, 2009

CPSC/EPA/HUD/CDC/ATSDR Report on Initial Chinese Drywall Studies

Press Statement on CPSC, EPA, HUD, CDC, and ATSDR’s drywall investigation: “Since the early spring, the federal government has dedicated significant resources to helping families affected by the drywall issue in their homes. The government has been and continues to be committed to providing answers and solutions to these homeowners. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety… Continue Reading

HHS: Lower Premiums, Stronger Businesses: How Health Insurance Reform Will Bring Down Costs for Small Businesses

Today, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has released a new report, Lower Premiums, Stronger Businesses: How Health Insurance Reform Will Bring Down Costs for Small Businesses. “The report looks at the current status quo and outlines how reform will help solve this problem and bring costs down for small businesses.” Continue Reading

Report: Unfair or Deceptive Credit Card Practices Continue as Americans Wait for New Reforms to Take Effect

Still Waiting: ‘Unfair or Deceptive’ Credit Card Practices Continue as Americans Wait for New Reforms to Take Effect, October 2009. “This report present the findings of the latest review of consumer credit card product by the Pew Health Group’s Safe Credit Cards Project. We show the interest rates, fees and penalty provisions for credit cards… Continue Reading

CDC Estimates of the Prevalence of Pandemic (H1N1) in U.S., April–July 2009

Estimates of the Prevalence of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, United States, April–July 2009: “Through July 2009, a total of 43,677 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were reported in the United States, which is likely a substantial underestimate of the true number. Correcting for under-ascertainment using a multiplier model, we estimate that 1.8 million–5.7… Continue Reading

Google Launches New Music Search Feature

Official Google Blog: “…we’re rolling out a search feature that…enabl[es] you to search and more easily discover millions of songs, all via a simple Google web search…Now, when you enter a music-related query — like the name of a song, artist or album — your search results will include links to an audio preview of… Continue Reading

A Call to Action for State Government: Guidance for Opening the Doors to State Data

“States and local governments should increase citizens’ access to raw, machine-readable data through sites similar to the federal government’s Data.gov. Data democratization will lead to greater citizen engagement and government accountability, according to the National Association of State CIOs’ latest brief on transparency. In A Call to Action for State Government: Guidance for Opening the… Continue Reading

Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media by Federal Departments and Agencies, v1.0

Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media by Federal Departments and Agencies, v1.0 Issued By: ISIMC [Information Security and Identity Management Committee] – Effective Date: 09.17.2009 Abstract: The use of social media for federal services and interactions is growing tremendously, supported by initiatives from the administration, directives from government leaders, and demands from the public.… Continue Reading