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January 31, 2007
Headlines - Oversight Hearing on Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration
- FCC Releases Data on High Speed Services for Internet Access
- Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction Quarterly Report to Congress
- GAO Reports on National Nuclear Security Administration Security Issues
- Anglo-American Legal Tradition Project Launches Website
- FCC Releases Data on Local Telephone Competition
- President's State of the Economy Overview
- Pew Internet Survey Tracks Increased Use of Document Tagging Online
- Access to EPA Digital Library Documents Remains Limited
- 2007 Consumer Action Handbook
- List of Top Companies from Harris Interactive Ranks Microsoft in First Place
- 2007 Horizon Report Highlights Technologies and Higher Learning
- Levine Legislation to Make California First State in the Nation to Ban Incandescent Light Bulbs
- EPA OIG Report Highlights Need for Improved Controls Over Mainframe System Software
 Oversight Hearing on Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration House Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing on Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration: A Threat to Checks and Balances and the Rule of Law? January 31, 2007 Statement of Chairman John Conyers, Jr. Wintesses: Hon. Mickey Edwards, Former Member of Congress; John Elwood, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice; Karen J. Mathis, President, American Bar Association; Professor Charles Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Professor Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Associate Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center Related postings on signing statements
FCC Releases Data on High Speed Services for Internet Access Press release: "High-speed lines increased by 26% during the first half of 2006, from 51.2 million to 64.6 million lines in service, compared to a 21% increase, from 42.4 million to 51.2 million lines, during the second half of 2005. For the full twelve month period ending June 30, 2006, high-speed lines increased by 52% (or 22.2 million lines). High-speed lines encompass advanced services lines and also include lines that deliver services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in one, but not both, directions. [Statistics released today reflect data as of June 30, 2006.]" Report: High-Speed Services for Internet Access, Status as of June 30, 2006
Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction Quarterly Report to Congress Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction - January 30, 2007 Quarterly and Semiannual Report to Congress: "Last January, SIGIR identified 2006 as the year of transition, highlighting many challenges to effective turnover of projects and programs to Iraqi control. SIGIR observed limited progress on these issues during 2006: supporting anticorruption efforts; enhancing infrastructure security; building ministerial capacity; ensuring the sustainability of reconstruction programs and projects; increasing support for reconstruction by the international community; improving coordination of all U.S. agencies involved in reconstruction. In 2007, transition to Iraqi control will accelerate. Success, however, hinges on the effective resolution of each of these issues." January 30, 2007 Quarterly and Semiannual Report to Congress (Highlights, All Sections and Appendices) PDF Highlights from the January 30, 2007 Quarterly and Semiannual Report to Congress, PDF January 30, 2007 Quarterly and Semiannual Report to Congress (All Sections), PDF All Appendices
GAO Reports on National Nuclear Security Administration Security Issues National Nuclear Security Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Management of the Nation's Nuclear Programs GAO-07-36, January 19, 2007 National Nuclear Security Administration: Security and Management Improvements Can Enhance Implementation of the NNSA Act GAO-07-428T, January 31, 2007
Anglo-American Legal Tradition Project Launches Website Via Spencer L. Simons, Director of the Law Library and Assistant Professor of Law University of Houston Law Center: "The Quinn Law Library at the University of Houston Law Center is proud to announce the inauguration of the extraordinary new website, the Anglo-American Legal Tradition (AALT). The AALT is the result of over fifteen years of negotiation with the National Archives of the United Kingdom by Robert C. Palmer, Cullen Professor of History and Law at the University of Houston. The license with the National Archives permits the free, non-commercial, public display and use of the images captured by Professor Palmer's ongoing project to acquire images of the main categories of court records over almost four centuries (c.1272 - 1650); at this point, some 450,000 images have been acquired. Access to these documents was previously possible only through use of the original documents at the National Archives itself...In order to facilitate use of these ancient documents Professor Palmer has supplied guides to paleography and overviews of English le! gal history, as well as links to other websites of interest to legal historians. The AALT will continue to add images from the National Archives, as well as collections of historical documents from other court systems in the Anglo-American legal world."
FCC Releases Data on Local Telephone Competition Press release: "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released new data on local telephone service competition in the United States. Twice a year, all incumbent local exchange carriers (incumbent LECs) and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) are required to report basic information about their local telephone service, and all facilities-based mobile telephony providers are required to provide information about their subscribers, pursuant to the FCC's local telephone competition and broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477). Statistics released today reflect data as of June 30, 2006."
Pew Internet Survey Tracks Increased Use of Document Tagging Online Pew Internet & American Life Project press release: "A December 2006 survey has found that 28% of internet users have tagged or categorized content online such as photos, news stories or blog posts. On a typical day online, 7% of internet users say they tag or categorize online content."
Access to EPA Digital Library Documents Remains Limited Follow-up to previous postings on EPA library closures, more news about the ramifications: "The brave new world of electronic libraries at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is turning into a nightmare, according to librarian complaints released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). With nearly one third of its library network now closed, internal and external researchers are frustrated by being forced to rely on balky, incomplete digital inventories."
2007 Consumer Action Handbook Federal Citizen Information Center: 2007 Consumer Action Handbook (178 pages, PDF): "This everyday guide to being a smart shopper is chocked full of helpful tips about buying a car or home, preventing identity theft, understanding credit, resolving problems after a purchase, and much more. Consumer Topics: This .pdf includes all of the Consumer Topics (63 pages) Sample Complaint Letter: This .pdf is the sample compaint letter included in the Consumer Action Handbook. It is a quick 1-page download that you can use as a template to write a complaint letter. Consumer Assistance Directory: This 106 page .pdf includes all of the Consumer Assistance Directory contact information including corporate, car manufacturers, state offices, federal agencies, better business bureaus, national consumer organizations, and trade associations. Corporate Consumer Offices: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the corporations listed in the Handbook.(37 pages) Car Manufacturers and Resolution Programs: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the automobile manufacturers listed in the Handbook. (4 pages) State Offices: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the state and local offices listed in the Handbook. (36 pages) Federal Agencies: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Federal agencies listed in the Handbook. (15 pages) BBBs: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Better Business Bureaus listed in the Handbook. (5 pages) Consumer Organizations: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the National Consumer Organizations listed in the Handbook. (5 pages) Trade Associations: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Trade and Professional Associations listed in the Handbook." (6 pages)
List of Top Companies from Harris Interactive Ranks Microsoft in First Place WSJ free feature: How Boss's Deeds Buff A Firm's Reputation - Gates's Philanthropy Puts Microsoft Atop Yearly Survey Of Best, Worst Companies: "Top-ranked Microsoft managed to beat Johnson & Johnson, whose emotionally appealing baby-products business had kept it in first place for a remarkable seven consecutive years. In the Reputation Quotient survey conducted by market-research firm Harris Interactive Inc., respondents gave Microsoft very high marks for leadership and financial results. But Mr. Gates's personal philanthropy also boosted the public's opinion of Microsoft." WSJ: Reputation Rankings (includes 60 companies -- users may sort data by respective company rankings in 2005 and 2006, and corresponding changes in those years) - "Boosted by the philanthropy of Bill and Melinda Gates, Microsoft beat out Johnson & Johnson in the eighth annual survey of U.S. corporations with the best and worst reputations. Merck, Royal Dutch Shell and AT&T saw the biggest increase over 2005 in overall reputation as compiled by rankings on 20 different attributes."
2007 Horizon Report Highlights Technologies and Higher Learning New Media Consortium: "The 2007 Horizon Report, just as has been the case with previous editions of the report, highlights six technologies that the underlying research suggests will become very important to higher education over the next one to five years. A central focus of the discussion of each technology is its relevance for teaching, learning, and creative expression. Live weblinks to example applications are provided in each section, as well as to additional readings."
Levine Legislation to Make California First State in the Nation to Ban Incandescent Light Bulbs Press release: "In yet another instance of California being a trend-setter for the rest of the nation, Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), the Chair of the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce Committee, today announced that he is introducing legislation - the How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb Act - to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by the year 2012."
EPA OIG Report Highlights Need for Improved Controls Over Mainframe System Software 2007-P-00008 EPA Could Improve Controls Over Mainframe System Software [Report PDF - 35 pages] [ At a Glance -PDF] January 29, 2007.
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