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Weekly newspaper from The Colony, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Interest in fast reactor development has increased with the Department of Energy's introduction of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) [1]. The GNEP program plans development of a sodium cooled Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR) that can be used to reduce the amount spent LWR fuel in storage and the number of high level waste sites needed for expansion of nuclear power throughout the world over the 21st century. In addition, the program proposes to make nuclear power more available while reducing the proliferation concerns by revising policies and technology for control of weapons useable materials. This would be accomplished with establishment of new institutional arrangements based on selective siting of reprocessing, enrichment and waste disposal facilities. The program would also implement development of small reactors suitable for use in developing countries or remote regions with small power grids. Over the past several years, under the Department of Energy (DOE) NERI and GEN IV programs research has been conducted on small lead cooled reactors. The Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor (SSTAR) [2] is the most recent version of this type of reactor and research is continuing on it in the GEN IV program in parallel with GNEP. SSTAR is a small …

The objective of this research project was to analyze the resolution of two geophysical imaging techniques: electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and cross-borehole ground penetrating radar (XBGPR) for monitoring subsurface flow and transport processes within the vadose zone. This was accomplished through a coupled approach involving very fine-scale unsaturated flow forward modeling, conversion of the resultant flow and solute fields to geophysical property models, forward geophysical modeling using the property model obtained from the last step to obtain synthetic geophysical data, and finally inversion of this synthetic data. These geophysical property models were then compared to those derived from the conversion of the hydrologic forward modeling to provide an understanding of the resolution and limitations of the geophysical techniques.

Using higher-order transverse laser modes as drivers forplasma wave excitation, and, in particular, using a ring laser beam withmaximum intensity off-axis, results in reversal of the focusinganddefocusing phase regions in a laser wakefield accelerator. Thisresults in improved performance of self-trapping and laser injectionschemes. Specifically, the trapping threshold required foropticalinjection is decreased and the maximum energy gain of the trappedelectrons is increased. This scheme could also be of interest for thegeneration of ring electron beams or for beam conditioning.

Daily newspaper from Altus, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Daily newspaper from Sapulpa, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Report reviewing the management and performance of the Mullin Independent School District's (MISD's) education, financial, and operational functions.

Weekly Czech and English language newspaper from Temple, Texas published as the official organ of the Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas that includes news of interest to members along with advertising.

Daily newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Mannford, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Congress has long been concerned about whether U.S. policy advances the national interest in reducing the role of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could deliver them. China has taken some steps to mollify U.S. concerns about its role in weapons proliferation. Skeptics question whether China's cooperation in weapons nonproliferation has warranted President Bush's pursuit of stronger bilateral ties. This report discusses the national security problem of China's role in weapons proliferation and issues related to the U.S. policy response, including legislation, since the mid-1990s.

Facilities handling large amounts of potentially hazardous chemical (i.e., chemical facilities) might be of interest to terrorists, either as targets for direct attacks meant to release chemicals into the community or as a source of chemicals for use elsewhere. For any individual facility, the risk is very small, but the risks may be increasing -- with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment. Congress might choose to rely on existing efforts in the public and private sectors to improve chemical site security over time. Alternatively, Congress could expand existing environmental planning requirements for chemical facilities to require consideration of terrorism. Congress might also enact legislation to reduce risks, either by "hardening" defenses against terrorists or by requiring industries to consider use of safer chemicals, procedures, or processes.

Operation Iraqi Freedom succeeded in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but Iraq remains unstable because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by burgeoning Sunni-Shiite violence. President Bush has said he believes that, over the longer term, Iraq will become a model for reform throughout the Middle East and a partner in the global war on terrorism. However, mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs -- without clear signs of security progress -- have intensified a debate within the United States over the wisdom of the invasion and whether to wind down U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing U.S. goals. Administration critics, including some in Congress, believe the U.S. mission in Iraq is failing and that major new policy initiatives are required. Others believe that a U.S. move to withdraw might undercut popular support for the insurgency and force compromise among Iraq's factions.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have long-standing economic and defense ties, and the U.S. has a strong security commitment to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was a key member of the allied coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991. Bombing attacks against several U.S. and foreign-operated installations in Saudi Arabia have raised some concerns about security of U.S. citizens and what appears to be growing anti-Americanism in some segments of the Saudi population. Other principal issues of bilateral interest include security in the post-war Gulf region, the Saudi position on the Arab-Israeli conflict, arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, Saudi external aid programs, bilateral trade relationships and oil production, and Saudi policies on human rights and democracy.

Report discussing the role of the United States regarding the status of trade relations with Vietnam after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The report focuses on the issue of most-favored-nation (MFN) status, or normal trade relations (NTR) which conflicts with Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974. There is an overview of U.S.-Vietnam economic relations the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and Vietnam's NTR status, the WTO accession process in relation to Vietnam's status, the significance of the issues for both Vietnam and the United States, as well as other political and economic issues.

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Operation Iraqi Freedom succeeded in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but Iraq remains unstable because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by burgeoning sectarian violence. According to its November 30, 2005, “Strategy for Victory,” the Bush Administration indicates that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq until the country is able to provide for its own security and does not serve as a host for radical Islamic terrorists. This report discusses the background of the issue and examines several security challenges, response, and other policy options for the U.S.

Facilities handling large amounts of potentially hazardous chemical (i.e., chemical facilities) might be of interest to terrorists, either as targets for direct attacks meant to release chemicals into the community or as a source of chemicals for use elsewhere. For any individual facility, the risk is very small, but the risks may be increasing -- with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment. Congress might choose to rely on existing efforts in the public and private sectors to improve chemical site security over time. Alternatively, Congress could expand existing environmental planning requirements for chemical facilities to require consideration of terrorism. Congress might also enact legislation to reduce risks, either by "hardening" defenses against terrorists or by requiring industries to consider use of safer chemicals, procedures, or processes.