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January 23, 2007
Headlines - 2007 State of the Union Address, Policy Initiatives and Democratic Response
- New LC Country Profiles on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
- DOE OIG Report on Management Controls Over Superconductivity Partnerships
- FCC Launches Website on Media and Childhood Obesity
- DNI Progress Report on Reforming Intelligence
- Federal Election Commission Revised Contribution Limits Announced
- Study Focuses on Understanding the Political Influence of Blogs
- Federal Court Management Statistics - 2006
- FTC Issues Updated Franchise Rule
- US v Libby Legal Proceedings
- Hearing Will Question Political Influence on Government Climate Change Scientists
- GAO Comptroller General Testimony on Deficits
- Bingaman-Specter Discussion Draft on Global Warming Legislation
- EU eGovernment Action Plan Roadmaps
- Challenges to Copyright Law Rejected By 9th Circuit
- DOJ Freedom of Information Act Report, FY 2006
 2007 State of the Union Address, Policy Initiatives and Democratic Response White House: 2007 State of the Union Policy Initiatives (topics include: energy, health care, education, immigration, HIV/AIDS, malaria, defense and spending reforms), Overview Fact Sheet, January 23, 2007. [ Summary and Full PDF Report] State of the Union Address, 2007 Transcript and Video: Democratic Response - Sen. James Webb's Address Following The State Of The Union Resources on the State of the Union Address - January 23, 2007 U.S. Treasury, January 23, 2007: Administration's Proposal for Affordable, Accessible, and Flexible Health Coverage
New LC Country Profiles on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan New LC Country Profiles on Kyrgyzstan (January 23, 2007) and Tajikistan (January 19, 2007).
DOE OIG Report on Management Controls Over Superconductivity Partnerships Department of Energy Office of Inspector General Audit Report: Management Controls over the Department of Energy's Superconductivity Partnerships, January 2007.
FCC Launches Website on Media and Childhood Obesity Press release: FCC Announces List of Participants on Task Force on "Media and Childhood Obesity: Today and Tomorrow". Webpage: Task Force on Media & Childhood Obesity
Federal Election Commission Revised Contribution Limits Announced "The Federal Election Commission today announced revised contribution limits which have been indexed for inflation and are effective for the 2007-2008 elections for President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. During the current election cycle, individuals may contribute up to $2,300 per election to Federal candidates, up to $28,500 per year to national party committees, and a combined total of up to $108,200 during the two year period to all Federal campaigns, parties, and other political committees. The table [included in this release] lists contribution limits for 2007-2008."
Study Focuses on Understanding the Political Influence of Blogs Understanding the Political Influence of Blogs: A Study of the Growing Importance of the Blogosphere in the U.S. Congress, April 2006, by T. Neil Sroka. Abstract: "Using a survey of congressional offices conducted between January and March 2006, I attempt to gain a picture of the readership, usage, and opinion of blogs and blogging on Capital Hill, in order to make the case for blogging’s direct effect on the modern legislative process. I conclude that, although more study is needed to know how blog readership and usage directly impact policy decisions, the high levels of blog readership and the widely held view that blogs function as the “watchdog” of the mainstream media clearly suggest that the blogosphere has a much stronger voice being heard by legislators than previously considered."
Federal Court Management Statistics - 2006 Federal Court Management Statistics - 2006: "Fiscal year 2006 statistics for each of the 12 regional U.S. courts of appeals and 94 U.S. district courts – plus national totals for the appellate and district courts – are now available."
FTC Issues Updated Franchise Rule Press release: "The Federal Trade Commission has approved amendments to the Franchise Rule, which was originally promulgated in 1978. The amended Rule has a phased-in effective date: as of July 1, 2007, franchisors may follow the amended Rule, or they may continue their current practice of complying with the original Rule or individual state franchise disclosure laws that require an Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (“UFOC”); but by July 1, 2008, they will be required to follow the amended Rule only." 16 C.F.R. Part 436: Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Franchising 16 C.F.R. Part 437: Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Business Opportunities Text of the Federal Register Notice Containing the Final Rule Language and the Statement of Basis and Purpose
US v Libby Legal Proceedings Libby Trial Exhibits: "Due to public interest in this case, the Department of Justice is releasing the government exhibits in the format admitted in the court. The Department recognizes that these documents are in some cases not in an accessible format." Related postings on Libby Legal Times (registration free), Prosecution Calls Libby a Liar During Opening Arguments - Defense says former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney is being made the administration's fall guy, by Emma Schwartz, January 23, 2007
Hearing Will Question Political Influence on Government Climate Change Scientists "The Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on January 30 regarding political interference in the work of government climate change scientists. In preparation for the hearing, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis have requested documents from the Council on Environmental Quality [ Letter to CEQ Chairman James Connaughton] related to allegations that officials edited scientific reports and took other actions to minimize the significance of climate change." Related postings on climate change
GAO Comptroller General Testimony on Deficits Long-Term Budget Outlook: Deficits Matter--Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today, GAO-07-389T, January 23, 2007. "The Comptroller General testified before Congress [House Budget Committee] for a hearing entitled "Why Deficits Matter." The presentation touched on several points. First, the current financial condition in the United States is worse than is widely understood. Second, the current fiscal path is both imprudent and unsustainable. Third, improvements in information and processes are needed and can help. And finally, meeting the long-term fiscal challenge will require (1) significant entitlement reform to change the path of those programs; (2) reprioritizing, restructuring and constraining other spending programs; and (3) more revenues--hopefully through a reformed tax system. This will take bipartisan cooperation and compromise."
EU eGovernment Action Plan Roadmaps "The European Commission in co-operation with the Member States has finalised the roadmaps for the action plans on Pan-European Electronic Identity Management, Electronic Procurement and Inclusive eGovernment. In view of the continuous and fast evolution in these areas, we shall conduct an annual revision of these roadmaps. Electronic Identity Management roadmap table and paper Electronic Procurement roadmap Inclusive eGovernment roadmap. See also the reports 'Options for administrative actions towards the i2010 inclusive eGovernment goal' and 'Analysis of European target groups related to inclusive eGovernment' You can see also the plan of activities 2007-2010 for eGovernment Efficiency and Effectiveness
Challenges to Copyright Law Rejected By 9th Circuit Stanford Center for Internet and Society: " Kahle v. Gonzales - In this case, two archives ask the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to hold that statutes that extended copyright terms unconditionally — the Copyright Renewal Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA)— are unconstitutional under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, and that the Copyright Renewal Act and CTEA together create an "effectively perpetual" term with respect to works first published after January 1, 1964 and before January 1, 1978, in violation of the Constitution’s Limited Times and Promote...Progress Clauses. The Complaint asks the Court for a declaratory judgment that copyright restrictions on orphaned works — works whose copyright has not expired but which are no longer available — violate the constitution." Opinion, Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Brewster v. Gonzales, January 22, 2007
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