The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Neece. Neece was drafted into the Army in July, 1943 and had basic training in New Orleans. After basic training, Neece went to Illinois for radio school, then to Florida for radar school. He was then sent to the Pacific and joined the 864th Bomb Squadron as a radar operator. He flew out of Saipan and Okinawa prior to the war's end. When it was over, he spent a little while in Japan before going bakc to the US and being discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Gaffney. Gaffney was born in San Antonio in 1923. He joined the Unites States Coast Guard in 1942. After completing training at Manhattan Beach, New York, he was assigned to USCGC North Star (WPG-59) which proceeded to station off Narsarsuaq, Greenland. He recalls leaving with a detachment of soldiers on a mission to capture and destroy a German weather station located on the coast of Greenland. He also recalls being ice bound for thirty days and the circumstances that allowed for the release of the ship from the ice. He remembers searching for survivors of USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77). Gaffney also tells of his experiences aboard an 83-foot patrol boat during Operation OVERLORD. He concludes the interview with his experiences following his discharge in 1945.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253 in December 2009 underscores the need for effective aviation security programs. Aviation security remains a daunting challenge with hundreds of airports and thousands of flights daily carrying millions of passengers and pieces of checked baggage. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent billions of dollars and implemented a wide range of aviation security initiatives. Two key layers of aviation security are (1) TSA's Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program designed to identify persons who may pose a security risk; and (2) airport perimeter and access controls security. This testimony provides information on the extent to which TSA has taken actions to validate the scientific basis of SPOT and strengthen airport perimeter security. This statement is based on prior products GAO issued from September 2009 through September 2011 and selected updates in August and September 2011. To conduct the updates, GAO analyzed documents on TSA's progress in strengthening aviation security, among other things."

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Walker. Walker was working as a mail carrier when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He enlisted in the Navy, and despite attending aviation mechanic school he was selected to be an aerial gunner. Walker was assigned to an SBD crew aboard USS Essex (CV-9), flying his first mission over Wake Island and his last over Truk. After 10 months in combat, he transferred to Florida for further training. Walker later put in to become a pilot himself and was taking courses at William Jewell College in anticipation of flight school when the war ended. Walker was discharged thereafter.

Interview with Robert Thomas, a lawyer who worked on a desegregation case in Dallas Independent School District. Thomas discusses his upbringing, education, law practice, and prominent desegregation cases he worked on during his career.

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Nearly 3 years ago, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) authorized the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to address the most severe crisis that the financial system had faced in decades. EESA provided GAO with broad oversight authorities for actions taken under TARP and required that we report at least every 60 days on TARP activities and performance. Our oversight and reporting has resulted in 69 performance audit recommendations and matters for congressional consideration to improve TARP's accountability and transparency. Sixty of the performance audit recommendations have been directed to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the primary agency responsible for TARP programs. While Treasury has taken a number of steps to address many of our recommendations, some recommendations remain outstanding. This 60-day report describes the status of our TARP performance audit recommendations to Treasury as of September 2011. In particular, this report discusses Treasury's implementation of our recommendations, focusing particularly on two cross-cutting issues--communications and staffing--and two major TARP programs, the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), which supports certain U.S. financial institutions, and Making Home Affordable (MHA), which is a collection of …

Transcript of a public hearing held by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq & Afghanistan held September 16, 2010. This hearing includes testimony from two panels of government and academic witnesses on whether the Department of Defense has made adequate plans to improve the federal acquisition workforce.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO was asked to present its views on the training requirements and procedures for VA personnel responsible for processing compensation and pension claims. This statement is based primarily upon an April 2010 GAO report on VA's training for experienced disability claims processors (GAO-10-445) and includes information on actions VBA says it has taken in response to our recommendations. This statement focuses on (1) experienced disability claims processors' views regarding training, and (2) VBA's efforts to monitor and assess training for experienced disability claims processors."

Airline reimbursement check of $250.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Airline reimbursement check of $250.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Banner check of $173.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Photocopy of a document displaying Allied Advertising contact information.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2008, the Department of the Interior collected over $22 billion in royalties and other fees related to oil and gas. Within Interior, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages onshore federal oil and gas leases, and the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) Offshore Energy and Minerals Management (OEMM) manages offshore leases. A federal lease gives the lessee rights to explore for and develop the lease's oil and gas resources. MMS is responsible for collecting royalties for oil and gas produced from both onshore and offshore leases. GAO has reviewed federal oil and gas management and revenue collection and found many material weaknesses. This testimony is based primarily on key findings from past GAO reports and some preliminary findings from ongoing work. These findings focus on Interior's: (1) policies for oil and gas leasing, (2) oversight of oil and gas production, (3) royalty regime and policies to boost oil and gas development, (4) oil and gas information technology (IT) systems, and (5) royalty-in-kind program. GAO's past reports provided recommendations that Interior officials report that they are working to implement."

Application materials submitted to the Texas Historical Commission requesting a historic marker for the Juan Francisco Farias Residence, in Laredo, Texas. The materials include the inscription text of the marker, original application, narrative, floor plans, and photographs.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) and other executive agencies increasingly deploy civilians in support of contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior GAO reports show that the use of deployed civilians has raised questions about the potential for differences in policies on compensation and medical benefits. When these civilians are deployed and serve side by side, differences in compensation or medical benefits may become more apparent and could adversely impact morale. This statement is based on GAO's June 2009 congressionally requested report, which compared agency policies and identified any issues in policy or implementation regarding (1) compensation, (2) medical benefits, and (3) identification and tracking of deployed civilians. GAO reviewed laws, agency policies and guidance; interviewed responsible officials at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the six selected agencies, including DOD and State; reviewed workers' compensation claims filed by deployed civilians with the Department of Labor from January 1, 2006 through April 30, 2008; and conducted a survey of deployed civilians. GAO made ten recommendations for agencies to take actions such as reviewing compensation laws and policies, establishing medical screening requirements, and creating mechanisms to assist and …

Payment record for Allied Advertising of $173.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Payment record for Annise Parker Campaign of $1,000.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Payment record for Olga Hernadez of $250.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Payment record for Rich Bailey of $250.00 made on September 16, 2009.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recent cyber attacks demonstrate the potentially devastating impact these pose to our nation's computer systems and to the federal operations and critical infrastructures that they support. They also highlight that we need to be vigilant against individuals and groups with malicious intent, such as criminals, terrorists, and nation-states perpetuating these attacks. Federal law and policy established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the focal point for coordinating cybersecurity, including making it responsible for protecting systems that support critical infrastructures, a practice commonly referred to as cyber critical infrastructure protection. Since 2005, GAO has reported on the responsibilities and progress DHS has made in its cybersecurity efforts. GAO was asked to summarize its key reports and their associated recommendations aimed at securing our nation's cyber critical infrastructure. To do so, GAO relied on previous reports, as well as two reports being released today, and analyzed information about the status of recommendations."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires all full-power television stations in the United States to cease analog broadcasting after February 17, 2009, known as the digital television (DTV) transition. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for implementing a subsidy program to provide households with up to two $40 coupons toward the purchase of converter boxes. In this testimony, which is principally based on a report being issued today, GAO examines (1) what consumer education efforts have been undertaken by private and federal stakeholders and (2) how effective NTIA has been in implementing the converter box subsidy program, and to what extent consumers are participating in the program. To address these issues, GAO analyzed data from NTIA and reviewed legal, agency, and industry documents. Also, GAO interviewed a variety of stakeholders involved with the DTV transition."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For GAO, having a diverse workforce at all levels is an organizational strength that contributes to the achievement of results by bringing a wider variety of perspectives and approaches to policy development and implementation, strategic planning, problem solving and decision making. GAO's Office of Opportunity and Inclusiveness (O&I) is responsible for all functions and activities designed to promote diversity and maintain a work environment that is fair, unbiased, and inclusive. O&I's analysis of performance appraisal data indicated that there were significant differences in appraisal averages for African American and Caucasian analysts. GAO contracted with the Ivy Planning Group to assess the factors that influenced the differences. Ivy issued its African American Performance Assessment Study report on April 25, 2008 and the Acting Comptroller General issued a memorandum on April 30, 2008 expressing his commitment to addressing all of the report's recommendations. The subcommittee asked GAO's Inspector General (IG) to examine the effectiveness of O&I and analyze the representation of women and minorities in the agency's Senior Executive Service (SES) and managerial ranks (GS-15 and equivalent level). This testimony focuses on the results of the IG's review and provides …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "According to EPA, children face disproportionate risks from contaminants such as air pollution and lead paint. The health consequences to the country's 74 million children are significant. In 2006, 55 percent of children lived in counties exceeding allowable levels for at least one of the six principal air pollutants such as ozone which causes or aggravates asthma. Asthma is the third-most common cause of childhood hospitalization, resulting in $3.2 billion in treatment costs and 14 million lost school days annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1997, EPA created the Office of Children's Health and convened the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) to provide advice and recommendations to assist in developing regulations, guidance, and policies to address children's health. In April 1997, the President signed Executive Order 13045, creating an interagency Task Force to recommend federal strategies for protecting children. Our testimony is based on ongoing work on the extent to which EPA has used the Advisory Committee and addressed the committee's key recommendations. It also includes information about the Task Force. We met with numerous EPA officials and analyzed the committee's …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal policy identifies 18 infrastructure sectors--such as banking and finance, energy, public health and healthcare, and telecommunications--that are critical to the nation's security, economy, public health, and safety. Because these sectors rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data, it is crucial that the security of these systems and data is maintained. Further, because most of these infrastructures are owned by the private sector, it is imperative that public and private entities work together to protect these assets. The federal government uses both voluntary partnerships with private industry and requirements in federal laws, regulations, and mandatory standards to assist in the security of privately owned information technology (IT) systems and data within critical infrastructure sectors. As agreed, our objectives were to (1) identify, for each critical infrastructure sector, the federal laws, regulations, and mandatory standards that pertain to securing that sector's privately owned IT systems and data and (2) identify enforcement mechanisms for each of the above laws, regulations, and mandatory standards."