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By Sabrina I. Pacifici - bespacific@earthlink.net
Free weekday coverage on current issues
June 18, 2007
Headlines - CBO Report - Federal Support for Research and Development, June 2007
- Census Bureau Launches Older Worker Profiles for 31 States
- NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007
- The Failed States Index 2007
- Court Protects Email from Secret Government Searches
- GAO Report on Dissemination of Scientific Research by Federal Agencies
- New Washington Post Special Report on the Watergate Story
- New GAO Opinion on White House Signing Statements
- BLS Ceases Print Publication of CPI Detailed Report and PPI Detailed Report
- Oversight Committee Investigation of Use of RNC E-Mail Accounts by White House Officials
- DOJ OIG Review of Reporting Procedures for Loss of Sensitive Electronic Information
- Confidentiality Arrangements Concluded Between EU (EC and EMEA) and US FDA/DHHS
- 2007 SLA Legal Division Programs and Speaker Material from Annual Conference in Denver
 CBO Report - Federal Support for Research and Development, June 2007 CBO Report - Federal Support for Research and Development, June 2007 Census Bureau Launches Older Worker Profiles for 31 States "The U.S. Census Bureau, in the Local Employment Dynamcis (LED) partnership with 31 states, has launched a series of reports on older workers that presents a detailed picture for people 55 and older in the work force, beginning with the release of "The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers In Iowa: 2004" today ( news release). The report and additional tables may be found at http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/library/profiles.html. For additional information about the LED partnership, please visit http://lehd.did.census.gov". The Failed States Index 2007 The Failed States Index 2007, by The Fund for Peace and FOREIGN POLICY magazine, July/August 2007: "The world's weakest states aren't just a danger to themselves. They can threaten the progress and stability of countries half a world away. In the third annual Failed States Index, FOREIGN POLICY and The Fund for Peace rank the countries where the risk of failure is running high." Court Protects Email from Secret Government Searches EFF press release: "The government must have a search warrant before it can secretly seize and search emails stored by email service providers, according to a landmark ruling Monday in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court found that email users have the same reasonable expectation of privacy in their stored email as they do in their telephone calls -- the first circuit court ever to make that finding." the full ruling in Warshak v. United States. The decision is also available from court, here. EFF's resources on the case, including its amicus brief GAO Report on Dissemination of Scientific Research by Federal Agencies Federal Research: Policies Guiding the Dissemination of Scientific Research from Selected Agencies Should Be Clarified and Better Communicated, GAO-07-653, May 17, 2007. "Researchers at federal agencies disseminate their research results through a variety of approaches, including scientific publications, presentations, press releases, and media interviews. Because of recent concerns about some federal researchers possibly being restricted from disseminating their research on controversial topics, GAO determined (1) the policies that guide the dissemination of federal research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); (2) how effectively these agencies have communicated their policies to researchers; and (3) the extent to which researchers have been restricted in disseminating their research. GAO conducted a survey of 1,811 researchers randomly selected at the three agencies, and had a 66 percent response rate." New Washington Post Special Report on the Watergate Story From the Washington Post, The Watergate Story: "Find full Post coverage, analysis, interactive features and multimedia content on the story that brought down a president and forever altered the triangular relationship between government officials, the media and the public." New GAO Opinion on White House Signing Statements From the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the text of a GAO Opinion on White House Signing Statements, June 18, 2007 (43 pages, PDF) Related government documents and news: Senate Committee on Appropriations Committee press release in response to the GAO opinion. AP: GAO Examines Signing Statement Cases - "The Bush administration sometimes fails to follow all provisions of laws after President Bush attaches "signing statements" meant to interpret or restrict the legislation, congressional examiners say." Statement on Presidential Signing Statements of the Constitution Project's Coalition to Defend Checks and Balances Postings on signing statements BLS Ceases Print Publication of CPI Detailed Report and PPI Detailed Report GPO press release: "The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the Department of Labor has informed GPO that they will cease the print publication of the "CPI Detailed Report" and the "PPI Detailed Report". The last printed copies of these titles will be Volume XXXIII, Number 6, and Volume 11, Number 6, respectively. Both of these titles appear on GPO's Essential Titles list...BLS has determined that electronic dissemination of these materials best fits the accomplishment of their mission and compliance with the e-Gov Act. Specific URLs for each title have not yet been established by BLS...BLS has further informed GPO that they intend to cease the print publication of "Employment and Earnings" during 2007. The change to this title will not take effect immediately and GPO has once again encouraged BLS to retain printed copies of this title in accordance with our designation of Employment and Earnings as an essential title..." Oversight Committee Investigation of Use of RNC E-Mail Accounts by White House Officials Administration Oversight, White House Use of Private E-mail Accounts: "The Oversight Committee has been investigating whether White House officials violated the Presidential Records Act by using e-mail accounts maintained by the Republican National Committee and the Bush Cheney '04 campaign for official White House communications. This interim staff report provides a summary of the evidence the Committee has received to date, along with recommendations for next steps in the investigation." The information the Committee has received in the investigation reveals: "The number of White House officials given RNC e-mail accounts is higher than previously disclosed..." "White House officials made extensive use of their RNC e-mail accounts." "There has been extensive destruction of the e-mails of White House officials by the RNC." "There is evidence that the Office of White House Counsel under Alberto Gonzales may have known that White House officials were using RNC e-mail accounts for official business, but took no action to preserve these presidential records."
Documents and Links Investigation of Possible Violations of the Presidential Records Act Deposition of Susan Ralston Errata Sheet for Deposition of Susan Ralston Related postings on U.S. Attorney firings 2007 SLA Legal Division Programs and Speaker Material from Annual Conference in Denver SLA Annual Meeting 2007: Programming for SLA Legal Division, Saturday, June 2, 2007 - Thursday, June 7, 2007. Selected presentations and handouts are available here.
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