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By Sabrina I. Pacifici - bespacific@earthlink.net
Free weekday coverage on current issues
May 30, 2007
Headlines - DOJ OIG Semiannual Report to Congress
- DOJ OIG Announces Expansion of Probe into U.S. Attorney Firings
- Federal Sentencing Trends Detailed in Sourcebook
- OECD Economic Survey of the United States
- GAO Correspondence on Selected Issues Concerning Banking Activities
- DOD OIG Audit of Air Force KC-X Aerial Refueling Tanker Aircraft Program
- People, Security and Borders: Impact of the WHTI on North America
- New ATF National Firearms Act Handbook
- USAID Releases 10th Edition of NGO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia
- New Google Street View Lets Users Explore Neighborhoods Virtually
- Recent CRS Reports on Iran, Food Safety, WTO, Lobbying Reform Legislation, Immigration Fraud, Africa Command
- DHS OIG Report on 2004 Airline Security Incident Released Via FOIA Request
 DOJ OIG Semiannual Report to Congress Office of the Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, October 1, 2006-March 31, 2007, released May 30, 2007. PDF or HTML versions DOJ OIG Announces Expansion of Probe into U.S. Attorney Firings Press release: "The Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility sent the attached letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee today, notifying the Chairman and Ranking Member that the offices are expanding their investigation related to the firings of several U.S. Attorneys to include improper considerations in DOJ's hiring of career employees. The letter is available as a PDF." Related postings on U.S. Attorney firings Federal Sentencing Trends Detailed in Sourcebook U.S. Courts: "Extensive information about criminal cases sentenced under the federal sentencing guidelines is contained in the U.S. Sentencing Commission's 2006 Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics...In FY 2006, 86.7 percent of all federal offenders were men. The average age of offenders was 34.8 years. Thirty-six percent of all defendants sentenced under the guidelines were convicted of drug offenses...Other common crimes were immigration offenses (24.5 percent), firearms offenses (11.7 percent), fraud (9.7 percent), and non-fraud white collar offenses (4.8 percent)." OECD Economic Survey of the United States Economic Survey of the United States, 29-May-2007: "The US economy continues to grow solidly, though at a slower pace than before. Long term challenges include labour force growth, fiscal sustainability, distortions in the housing market, performance of secondary schools and access to college." Contents | Executive summary | GAO Correspondence on Selected Issues Concerning Banking Activities Information on Selected Issues Concerning Banking Activities, GAO-07-593R, April 30, 2007: "This letter responds to Congress's request for information on (1) selected federal expenditures, policies, and programs that affect the U.S. banking industry and (2) certain banking industry trends. These include the savings and loan industry crisis, trade finance, tax policies, and profits and executive compensation. Congress's letter also asked us for information on bank fees; as agreed with Congressional staff, we will discuss this topic in a separate report. On December 11, 2006, we briefed Congressional staff on information gathered during our preliminary work. This letter summarizes and updates the information presented at the briefing." DOD OIG Audit of Air Force KC-X Aerial Refueling Tanker Aircraft Program D-2007-103 Air Force KC-X Aerial Refueling Tanker Aircraft Program, May 30, 2007 (Projects D2007-D000AB-0099.000 and D2007-D000PT-0110.000) PDF and Summary. People, Security and Borders: Impact of the WHTI on North America " People, Security and Borders: The Impact of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative on North America, a publication of the Network on North American Studies in Canada (NNASC). This study examines the potential security, technological, economic and political implications of the WHTI." The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: Information on the WHTI from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Information on the WHTI from the U.S. Department of State Meet Me at the Border "is an information resource for the network of businesses, individuals, and governmental agencies in North America whose livelihood or way of life is connected to the Canada-U.S. border."
New ATF National Firearms Act Handbook National Firearms Act Handbook - "ATF's National Firearms Act (NFA) Branch and the National Firearms Act Trade and Collectors Association (NFATCA) are pleased to announce the publication of the National Firearms Act Handbook. This handbook was developed in partnership by the NFA Branch and the NFATCA with the goal of providing timely and current information and procedures to the industry, the public, and government agencies, including ATF." Download the National Firearms Act Handbook USAID Releases 10th Edition of NGO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia Press release: "The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released the 10th Edition of the NGO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Sustainability Index tracks sector progress of NGOs in 28 countries in Europe and Eurasia. This year's report identifies significant progress in Central Europe and highlights ongoing challenges to long-term development in parts of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Central Europe country reports demonstrate continued progress in financial viability stemming from increases in the availability and diversity of domestic funding. However, reports from Eastern Europe and Eurasia show some declines, as select countries placed additional legal and financial restrictions on civil society activity. Other regions of Europe covered in the Index remained relatively unchanged." This following provides links to the complete report (262 pages, PDF), as well as Table of Contents and individual Country Overviews: 2006 NGO Sustainability Index For Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia New Google Street View Lets Users Explore Neighborhoods Virtually Press release: "...new innovations for Google Maps...offer a whole new perspective on search: Street View and Mapplets. Available on Google Maps at maps.google.com, Street View and Mapplets further Google's commitment to provide users with the most innovative maps available online and developers with new tools for creating and sharing geographic content. Street View is a new feature of Google Maps that enables users to view and navigate within 360 degree street level imagery of various cities in the US. Street View provides users with a rich, immersive browsing experience directly in Google Maps, enabling greater understanding of a specific location or area. Street View imagery will initially be available for maps of the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Las Vegas, Denver and Miami, and will soon expand to other metropolitan areas. By clicking on the "Street View" button in Google Maps, users can navigate street level, panoramic imagery. With Street View users can virtually walk the streets of a city, check out a restaurant before arriving, and even zoom in on bus stops and street signs to make travel plans." Recent CRS Reports on Iran, Food Safety, WTO, Lobbying Reform Legislation, Immigration Fraud, Africa Command Iran's Influence in Iraq, Updated May 22, 2007 Immigration Fraud: Policies, Investigations, and Issues, Updated May 17, 2007 Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa, May 16, 2007 Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, Updated May 15, 2007 International Reaction to the Palestinian Unity Government, May 9, 2007 U.S. Food and Agricultural Imports: Safeguards and Selected Issues, May 21, 2007 WTO Compliance Status of the Conservation Security Program (CSP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), May 21, 2007 Lobbying Reform Legislation: Side-by-Side Analysis of Lobbying Provisions in S.1 and H.R.2316, 110th Congress, May 18, 2007 U.S.-Funded Assistance Programs in China, May 18, 2007 Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Request for Appropriations, May 17, 2007 Immigration Fraud: Policies, Investigations, and Issues, May 17, 2007 Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa, May 16, 2007 The Supreme Court's Climate Change Decision: Massachusetts v. EPA, May 16, 2007 DHS OIG Report on 2004 Airline Security Incident Released Via FOIA Request Washington Times: The inspector general for Homeland Security late Friday released new details of what federal air marshals say was a terrorist dry run aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 327 from Detroit to Los Angeles on June 29, 2004. Several portions of the report remain redacted. The release stems from a Freedom of Information request by The Washington Times in April 2006. The Times first reported on July 22 that this and other probes and dry runs were occurring on commercial flights since the September 11 terrorist attacks." Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Review of Department's Handling of Suspicious Passengers Aboard Northwest Flight 327, March 30, 2006 (51 pages, PDF)
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