The 9/11 Commission and a National Counterterrorism Center: Issues and Options for Congress (open access)

The 9/11 Commission and a National Counterterrorism Center: Issues and Options for Congress

This report examines a number of issues as Congress considers codification of an NCTC. One issue is whether the centralization remedy the commission has recommended fits the problems associated specifically with the 9/11 intelligence failure, and perhaps more broadly, the systematic maladies affecting the Intelligence Community. There are at least four options for congressional consideration: (1) NCTC with intelligence and operational planning duties, (2) NCTC restricted to an intelligence role, (3) NCTC restricted to an operational planning role, and (4) status quo plus-viewing the newly forming collected entity as a pilot potential NCTC. As one of its 41 recommendations, the 9/11 Commission recommended the creation of a National Counterterroism Center (NCTC).
Date: October 22, 2004
Creator: Masse, Todd
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
9-11 Commission Final Report Press Conference captions transcript

9-11 Commission Final Report Press Conference

Recording of a press conference held by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States to announce the release of the final report and discuss the findings of the commission.
Date: July 22, 2004
Creator: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library
9/11 Commission Recommendations: A Civil Liberties Oversight Board (open access)

9/11 Commission Recommendations: A Civil Liberties Oversight Board

This report discusses the recommendation made by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) regarding the creation of a board within the executive branch to oversee adherence to guidelines on, and the commitment to defend, civil liberties by the federal government.
Date: December 22, 2004
Creator: Relyea, Harold C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
9/11 Commission Recommendations: A Civil Liberties Oversight Board (open access)

9/11 Commission Recommendations: A Civil Liberties Oversight Board

From Summary: This report discusses recommendations made by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) which include: "creation of a board within the executive branch to oversee adherence to guidelines on, and commitment to defend, civil liberties by the federal government."
Date: December 22, 2004
Creator: Relyea, Harold C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
9/11 Commission Recommendations: The Senate Confirmation Process for Presidential Nominees (open access)

9/11 Commission Recommendations: The Senate Confirmation Process for Presidential Nominees

On July 22, 2004, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, known as the 9/11 Commission, issued its final report, detailing the events up to and including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks upon the United States. The 9/11 Commission recommended that the Senate adopt rules requiring hearings and votes to confirm or reject national security nominees within 30 days of their submission at the start of each new presidential administration. Implementing the commission's proposal would involve imposing new restrictions on both the power of committee chairs to control the agenda of their committees and the rights of Senators to delay or block nominations through holds and extended debate. This report discusses in detail this proposal, how it could be implemented, and the potential effects of its implementation.
Date: November 22, 2004
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (open access)

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

The official Government edition of the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission, an independent, bipartisan commission created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002), provides a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. Provides recommendations designed to guard against future attacks.
Date: July 22, 2004
Creator: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Abortion: Legislative Response (open access)

Abortion: Legislative Response

The primary focus of this issue brief is legislative action with respect to abortion. However, discussion of those legislative proposals necessarily involves a brief discussion of the leading U.S. Supreme Court decisions concerning a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate her pregnancy. For a more detailed discussion of the relevant case law, see CRS Report 95-724, Abortion Law Development: A Brief Overview.
Date: November 22, 2004
Creator: Lewis, Karen J.; Shimabukuro, Jon O. & Ely, Dana
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Administration’s FY2005 Request for $25 Billion for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan: Precedents, Options, and Congressional Action (open access)

The Administration’s FY2005 Request for $25 Billion for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan: Precedents, Options, and Congressional Action

This report discusses the military's request for 25 billion dollars as a "contingent reserve emergency fund" for FY2005. The report covers previous decisions made by Congress to lend insight on whether the total amount will be distributed or not. Moreover, the report discusses a variety of options that may be undertaken to acquire the funding such as using the Department of Defense's ability to transfer funds (DOD).
Date: July 22, 2004
Creator: Belasco, Amy & Daggett, Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Africa: Development Issues and Policy Options (open access)

Africa: Development Issues and Policy Options

This report details and analyzes U.S. foreign aid to Africa, particularly in the Sub-Saharan region. Moreover, the report tends to focus on the overall lack of development even though Africa has been getting the aid. The debate hinges on whether or not development is in African control, citing issues such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic and corrupt governments.
Date: July 22, 2004
Creator: Copson, Raymond W.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
After-hours Power Status of Office Equipment and Inventory of Miscellaneous Plug-load Equipment (open access)

After-hours Power Status of Office Equipment and Inventory of Miscellaneous Plug-load Equipment

This research was conducted in support of two branches of the EPA ENERGY STAR program, whose overall goal is to reduce, through voluntary market-based means, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the U.S. The primary objective was to collect data for the ENERGY STAR Office Equipment program on the after-hours power state of computers, monitors, printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, and multi-function devices. We also collected data for the ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings branch on the types and amounts of ''miscellaneous'' plug-load equipment, a significant and growing end use that is not usually accounted for by building energy managers. This data set is the first of its kind that we know of, and is an important first step in characterizing miscellaneous plug loads in commercial buildings. The main purpose of this study is to supplement and update previous data we collected on the extent to which electronic office equipment is turned off or automatically enters a low power state when not in active use. In addition, it provides data on numbers and types of office equipment, and helps identify trends in office equipment usage patterns. These data improve our estimates of typical unit energy consumption and savings for each …
Date: January 22, 2004
Creator: Roberson, Judy A.; Webber, Carrie A.; McWhinney, Marla C.; Brown, Richard E.; Pinckard, Margaret J. & Busch, John F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analytical Tests for Ray Effect Errors in Discrete Ordinate Methods for Solving the Neutron Transport Equation (open access)

Analytical Tests for Ray Effect Errors in Discrete Ordinate Methods for Solving the Neutron Transport Equation

This paper contains three analytical solutions of transport problems which can be used to test ray-effect errors in the numerical solutions of the Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE). We derived the first two solutions and the third was shown to us by M. Prasad. Since this paper is intended to be an internal LLNL report, no attempt was made to find the original derivations of the solutions in the literature in order to cite the authors for their work.
Date: March 22, 2004
Creator: Chang, B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Antibiotic Resistance: Federal Agencies Need to Better Focus Efforts to Address Risk to Humans from Antibiotic Use in Animals (open access)

Antibiotic Resistance: Federal Agencies Need to Better Focus Efforts to Address Risk to Humans from Antibiotic Use in Animals

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern; antibiotics used in animals raised for human consumption contributes to this problem. Three federal agencies address this issue--the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). GAO examined (1) scientific evidence on the transference of antibiotic resistance from animals to humans and extent of potential harm to human health, (2) agencies' efforts to assess and address these risks, (3) the types of data needed to support research on these risks and extent to which the agencies collect these data, (4) use of antibiotics in animals in the United States compared with its key agricultural trading partners and competitors, and (5) information on how use has affected trade."
Date: April 22, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Appropriations for FY2005: District of Columbia (open access)

Appropriations for FY2005: District of Columbia

Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This Report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on the District of Columbia Appropriations.
Date: December 22, 2004
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Archaeological Excavation Report for Proposed Well 199-K-131 in Support of the 100-KR-4 Pump-and-Treat Project (open access)

Archaeological Excavation Report for Proposed Well 199-K-131 in Support of the 100-KR-4 Pump-and-Treat Project

An archaeological excavation was conducted at the site of proposed groundwater monitoring well 199-K-131 in support of the 100-KR-4 Pump-and-Treat Project between June 2 and 3, 2004. Excavations confirmed that there were no intact cultural deposits at the proposed well location. This report was prepared to document the findings of the test excavation.
Date: June 22, 2004
Creator: Woody, Dave M. & Prendergast-Kennedy, Ellen L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Assistance After Hurricanes and Other Disasters: FY2004 and FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations (open access)

Assistance After Hurricanes and Other Disasters: FY2004 and FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations

After a series of devastating hurricanes struck Florida and other states in the summer of 2004, the 108th Congress passed two emergency supplemental appropriations statutes that provide a total of $16.475 billion to areas stricken by the hurricanes and other natural disasters. The House and Senate quickly approved legislation (H.R. 5005) the day after President Bush submitted a request on September 6 for $2 billion in FY2004 funding, largely in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley and Frances in Florida. The other issue that was a matter of public debate focused on a proposed amendment in the House to fully offset the cost of the FY2005 supplemental through a proportional reduction in discretionary funds; the House rejected the amendment.
Date: October 22, 2004
Creator: Bea, Keith & Chite, Ralph M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Autonomous Pathogen Detection System (APDS) (open access)

The Autonomous Pathogen Detection System (APDS)

Shaped like a mailbox on wheels, it's been called a bioterrorism ''smoke detector.'' It can be found in transportation hubs such as airports and subways, and it may be coming to a location near you. Formally known as the Autonomous Pathogen Detection System, or APDS, this latest tool in the war on bioterrorism was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to continuously sniff the air for airborne pathogens and toxins such as anthrax or plague. The APDS is the modern day equivalent of the canaries miners took underground with them to test for deadly carbon dioxide gas. But this canary can test for numerous bacteria, viruses, and toxins simultaneously, report results every hour, and confirm positive samples and guard against false positive results by using two different tests. The fully automated system collects and prepares air samples around the clock, does the analysis, and interprets the results. It requires no servicing or human intervention for an entire week. Unlike its feathered counterpart, when an APDS unit encounters something deadly in the air, that's when it begins singing, quietly. The APDS unit transmits a silent alert and sends detailed data to public health authorities, who can order evacuation and begin treatment …
Date: September 22, 2004
Creator: Morris, J & Dzenitis, J
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Aviation Security: Private Screening Contractors Have Little Flexibility to Implement Innovative Approaches (open access)

Aviation Security: Private Screening Contractors Have Little Flexibility to Implement Innovative Approaches

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, resulted in fundamental changes in the way the United States screens airport passengers and their property. One of the most significant changes was the shift from using private screeners to using federal screeners at all but five commercial airports in the United States. These five airports are part of a pilot program, where private screeners perform screening functions. The mission of the Private Screening Pilot Program, as defined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is to test the effectiveness of increased operational flexibility at the airport level that contractors may provide. GAO was asked to describe (1) the challenges and limitations of the private screening pilot program, (2) the operational flexibilities TSA has provided to the private screening companies, and (3) the performance of private and federal screeners in detecting threat objects. This testimony is based on our prior and ongoing work on TSA airport passenger and baggage screeners."
Date: April 22, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology (open access)

Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

This report provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: November 22, 2004
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Benchmarking Nonlinear Turbulence Simulations on Alcator C-Mod (open access)

Benchmarking Nonlinear Turbulence Simulations on Alcator C-Mod

Linear simulations of plasma microturbulence are used with recent radial profiles of toroidal velocity from similar plasmas to consider nonlinear microturbulence simulations and observed transport analysis on Alcator C-Mod. We focus on internal transport barrier (ITB) formation in fully equilibrated H-mode plasmas with nearly flat velocity profiles. Velocity profile data, transport analysis and linear growth rates are combined to integrate data and simulation, and explore the effects of toroidal velocity on benchmarking simulations. Areas of interest for future nonlinear simulations are identified. A good gyrokinetic benchmark is found in the plasma core, without extensive nonlinear simulations. RF-heated C-Mod H-mode experiments, which exhibit an ITB, have been studied with the massively parallel code GS2 towards validation of gyrokinetic microturbulence models. New, linear, gyrokinetic calculations are reported and discussed in connection with transport analysis near the ITB trigger time of shot No.1001220016.
Date: June 22, 2004
Creator: Redi, M.H.; Fiore, C.L.; Dorland, W.; Greenwald, M.J.; Hammett, G.W.; Hill, K. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Black carbon emissions in the United Kingdom during the past four decades: An empirical analysis (open access)

Black carbon emissions in the United Kingdom during the past four decades: An empirical analysis

We use data from a unique 40-year record of 150 urban and rural stations in the ''Black Smoke and SO2 Network'' in Great Britain to infer information about sources of atmospheric black carbon (BC). The data show a rapid decline of ambient atmospheric BC between 1962 and the early 1990s that exceeds the decline in official estimates of BC emissions based only on amount of fuel use and mostly fixed emission factors. This provides empirical confirmation of the existence and large impact of a time-dependent ''technology factor'' that must multiply the rate of fossil fuel use. Current ambient BC amounts in Great Britain comparable to those in western and central Europe, with diesel engines being the principal present source. From comparison of BC and SO2 data we infer that current BC emission inventories understate true emissions in the U.K. by about a factor of two. The results imply that there is the potential for improved technology to achieve large reduction of global ambient BC. There is a need for comparable monitoring of BC in other countries.
Date: April 22, 2004
Creator: Novakov, T. & Hansen, J.E.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Brief Case for the MICE Experiment (open access)

A Brief Case for the MICE Experiment

This is a brief prepared for the NSF management to explain the particle and accelerator physics motivations for MICE.
Date: July 22, 2004
Creator: Blondel, Alain; Kaplan, Daniel; Long, Kenneth & Zisman, Michael S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues (open access)

Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues

This report is about the Broadband Internet Access, The Background and analysis of Broadband. It's importance, and about broadband technologies like Cable, Satellite and other technologies. The status of Broadband Deployment and Development Issues.
Date: November 22, 2004
Creator: Angele. A
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues (open access)

Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues

This report is about the Broadband Internet Access, The Background and analysis of Broadband. It's importance, and about broadband technologies like Cable, Satellite and other technologies. The status of Broadband Deployment and Development Issues.
Date: June 22, 2004
Creator: Angele. A
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadband THz response of a resonantly excited high-densityexciton gas (open access)

Broadband THz response of a resonantly excited high-densityexciton gas

The density-driven crossover of electron-hole pairs frominsulating to conducting states is observed via the internal 1s-2pexciton resonance. Decreasing interparticle distance induces strongshifts and broadening, and ultimately the disappearance of the excitonicresonance.
Date: November 22, 2004
Creator: Huber, Rupert; Kaindl, Robert A.; Schmid, Benjamin A. & Chemla,Daniel S.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library