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February 27, 2007
Headlines - Hearing on Reforming the Presidential Library Donation Disclosure Process
- FDIC Outlook, February 27, 2007
- Fact Sheets on State and Local Communities and State Children's Health Insurance Program
- Commentary on Our Increasingly Digitized Lives
- Sentencing Statistics Available Online
- Report Tracks Cost of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to NY City Taxpayers
- DOT OIG Correspondence on Extended Ground Delays
- EFF Lawsuit Seeks Release of Secret Court Orders on Electronic Surveillance
- IRS Provides Valuable Assistance in Locating Missing Children
- DOE OIG Audit of National Nuclear Security Administration's Implementation of the Federal Information Security Management Act
- DNI Annual Threat Assessment to the Senate Armed Services Committee - Transcript
- PHRMA Report - More than 300 Medicines Now In Development to Treat Rare Diseases
- Consumer Survey Shows Growing Importance of E-Health Records
- FTC Reports COPPA Protects Children But Challenges Lie Ahead
 Hearing on Reforming the Presidential Library Donation Disclosure Process . "This hearing will examine the need for public disclosure of donations made to private foundations established to fund presidential libraries and related facilities. The committee will consider possible legislative proposals to require such disclosure."
FDIC Outlook, February 27, 2007 FDIC Outlook, February 27, 2007: "The FDIC Outlook provides a quarterly analysis of current national and regional trends that may affect the risk exposure of insured depository institutions." [note: via this link users may search for data back to 1st QTR, 1997]
Fact Sheets on State and Local Communities and State Children's Health Insurance Program OMB Fact Sheet, Strengthening State & Local Communities, February 27, 2007 OMB Fact Sheet, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (February 27, 2007)
Commentary on Our Increasingly Digitized Lives Envisioning the Whole Digital Person, by Jonathan Follett, Published February 20, 2007: "Our lives are becoming increasingly digitized—from the ways we communicate, to our entertainment media, to our e-commerce transactions, to our online research. As storage becomes cheaper and data pipes become faster, we are doing more and more online—and in the process, saving a record of our digital lives, whether we like it or not." [via Darlene Fichter]
Sentencing Statistics Available Online U. S. Sentencing Commission’s Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics: "This is the eleventh edition of the United States Sentencing Commission’s Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics. This Sourcebook contains descriptive statistics on the application of the federal sentencing guidelines and provides selected district, circuit, and national sentencing data. The volume covers fiscal year 2006 (October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006, hereinafter “2006”). This Sourcebook together with the 2006 Annual Report constitutes the annual report referenced in 28 U.S.C. § 997, as well as the analysis, recommendations, and accounting to Congress referenced in 28 U.S.C. § 994(w)(3)."
Report Tracks Cost of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to NY City Taxpayers Press release: "City workers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost New York City taxpayers more than $57 million, according to a new report released today by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens) and Councilman Michael McMahon (D-Staten Island). In addition, city employees have missed more than 600,000 days of work while deployed overseas, including more than 350,000 lost service days from first responders – New York’s Finest and Bravest." War Takes A Toll: The Costs of the War to New York City, February 27, 2007
EFF Lawsuit Seeks Release of Secret Court Orders on Electronic Surveillance Press release: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit against the Department of Justice today, demanding records about secret new court orders that supposedly authorize the government's highly controversial electronic surveillance program that intercepts and analyzes millions of Americans' communications." FOIA complaint filed against the Justice Department Related postings on the government's domestic surveillance program
IRS Provides Valuable Assistance in Locating Missing Children Treasury OIG Report 2007-40-029, The Internal Revenue Service Provides Valuable Assistance in Locating Missing Children, February 20, 2007: "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides assistance in locating missing children by placing their photographs in printed instructions and publications. From January 2001 through July 2006, the IRS publicized 2,493 pictures of missing children. Our analysis indicates that IRS data may provide useful leads for Federal law enforcement to locate missing children."
DOE OIG Audit of National Nuclear Security Administration's Implementation of the Federal Information Security Management Act The National Nuclear Security Administration's Implementation of the Federal Information Security Management Act, February 22, 2007 (note the full text of the report is not available at this time).
PHRMA Report - More than 300 Medicines Now In Development to Treat Rare Diseases Press release: "There are more than 300 medicines currently in development to treat or prevent hundreds of rare diseases, according to a new report released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). Genetic Alliance and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) joined PhRMA in releasing the report." Read the Report (32 pages, PDF) Read the Backgrounder, Selected Examples of Orphan Drugs in Development for Rare Diseases
Consumer Survey Shows Growing Importance of E-Health Records Press release: "The majority of consumers place some importance on whether a physician has electronic health records when choosing a physician and would be willing to pay for the service, according to research results released today by Accenture. The goal of the research, a survey of 600 U.S. consumers and interviews with more than 100 physicians, was to gauge consumer and physician attitudes toward electronic health records (EHR). An EHR comprises an individual’s medical information including conditions, medication information, test results and treatment plans that exist in electronic form. Among the key findings: Two-thirds (67 percent) of consumers said that electronic health records are at least slightly important in their selection of a physician, and half (51 percent) said they would be willing to pay for the service, if the price were reasonable. At the same time, just one in ten physicia! ns interviewed (11 percent) currently uses electronic records." Press release: "Hospitals continue to accelerate their use of health information technology, with 68% reporting that electronic health records had been fully or partially implemented as of fall 2006, according to the AHA's second annual survey (24 pages, PDF) of hospital health IT use."
FTC Reports COPPA Protects Children But Challenges Lie Ahead Press release: "In a report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission says the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Commission’s COPPA Rule, have been effective in protecting the privacy and security of young children online without unduly burdening Web site operators. The report does not recommend any changes to COPPA or to the Commission's Rule, but does note that, because widespread age verification technology is not available, age falsification remains a risk on general audience Web sites not intended for children’s use. The report also identifies social networking sites and mobile Internet access as new and emerging issues in children’s online privacy."
Implementing the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act: A Federal Trade Commission Report to Congress (February 2007) Text of the Commission Report Frequently Asked Questions About the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (Revised February 26, 2007)
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