The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Laughery. Laughery joined the Navy in June of 1943. He served as Seaman 2nd Class aboard the USS Harrison (DD-573), assisting the 20mm gunner and working in the fireroom as a Water Tender 1st Class. They survived 11 encounters with Japanese defenses at Bougainville, Tarawa, New Guinea, Kwajalein, Guam, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Laughery was discharged in April of 1946.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the emergency powers under section 418.016 of the Government Code authorize the Governor to suspend relevant state election laws and order an emergency special election (RQ-0223-KP).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Procedures regarding reappraisal of property after a disaster (RQ-0188-KP).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Department of Agriculture's rules regarding devices weighing food sold for immediate consumption conflict with section 13.1002 of the Agriculture Code (RQ-0189-KP).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Applicability of amendments to the Transportation Code made by Senate Bill 312, 85th Regular Session, to the Loop 1604 toll project in Bexar County (RQ-0190-KP).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Consequences of failing to comply with the requirements for continuation of existing private transfer fee obligations under section 5.203 of the Property Code (RQ-0205-KP).

This document contains the script for the presentation "If Casals or Primrose Jumped Off a Cliff, Would You? Thoughts on Editions of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites and Their Use by Performers."

This document contains notes to accompany the presentation for "Music for Silent 'Spook Tales' in the University of North Texas Music Library Special Collections.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David Belvin. Belvin joined the Navy in June, 1941 and trained at San Diego. After training and before the war started, he went to machinist school and then was assigned to the USS Dobbin (AD-3). He spent some time in Australia and recalls a submarine attack in Sydney Harbor. After his brother was lost at sea during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Belvin was sent back to the US for reassignment after some home leave. Belvin was discharged in July 1946 and enrolled in the University of Texas where he earned an engineering degree.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Plaster. Plaster joined the US Navy in 1943, completed boot camp and Landing Craft School. He then went to New Caledonia, where he served aboard USS John Penn (APA-23). He describes the ship and its mission. While participating in the invasion of Guadalcanal, the ship was sunk by a Japanese torpedo. Plaster was then assigned to USS President Hayes (APA-20) as a member of a landing craft crew and participated in the landing on Bougainville. He also recalls being subjected to nightly bombing for 21 consecutive nights. While there, he contracted malaria. In 1945, Plaster was assigned to a minesweeper in the Philippines. He explains the method used in mine sweeping including the use of the paravane. He also tells of his ship being in typhoons. Soon after the Japanese surrender, Plaster was assigned to a destroyer that participated in a goodwill tour that visited a number of countries before returning to the US.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Compared to 2000, the proportion of polling places in 2008 without potential impediments increased and almost all polling places had an accessible voting system as states and localities made various efforts to help facilitate accessible voting. In 2008, based upon GAO's survey of polling places, GAO estimated that 27 percent of polling places had no potential impediments in the path from the parking to the voting area--up from16 percent in 2000; 45 percent had potential impediments but offered curbside voting; and the remaining 27 percent had potential impediments and did not offer curbside voting. All but one polling place GAO visited had an accessible voting system--typically, an electronic machine in a voting station--to facilitate private and independent voting for people with disabilities. However, 46 percent of polling places had an accessible voting system that could pose a challenge to certain voters with disabilities, such as voting stations that were not arranged to accommodate voters using wheelchairs. In GAO's 2008 state survey, 43 states reported that they set accessibility standards for polling places, up from 23 states in 2000. Further, 31 states reported that ensuring polling place accessibility was …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the receipt of a nondisclosure order requires the Board of Nursing to redact information relating to a licensee’s criminal history record (RQ-0997-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Approval of expenditures from asset forfeiture fund of a district attorney (RQ-1004-GA)

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States faces challenges to ensuring food safety. First, imported food makes up a substantial and growing portion of the U.S. food supply, with 60 percent of fresh fruits and vegetables and 80 percent of seafood coming from across our borders. In recent years, there has been an increase in reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with both domestic and imported produce. Second, we are increasingly eating foods that are consumed raw and that have often been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks, including leafy greens such as spinach. Finally, shifting demographics means that more of the U.S. population is, and increasingly will be, susceptible to foodborne illnesses. The risk of severe and life-threatening conditions caused by foodborne illnesses is higher for older adults, young children, pregnant women, and immune-compromised individuals. In January 2007 GAO designated federal oversight of food safety as a high-risk area needing urgent attention and transformation because of the federal government's fragmented oversight of food safety. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of roughly 80 percent of the U.S. food supply--virtually all domestic and imported foods except for …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The President acknowledged that many federal contracting arrangements do not serve the needs of the federal government or the interests of the American taxpayer in a March 2009 memorandum. Among many of the issues discussed, the memorandum states that the government needs to ensure that it has the workforce needed to carry out robust and thorough management and oversight of contracts to achieve programmatic goals, avoid significant overcharges, and curb wasteful spending. However, the capacity and the capability of the federal government's acquisition workforce to oversee and manage contracts have not kept pace with increased spending for increasingly complex purchases. For example, federal civilian agencies' acquisition spending increased in real terms from $80 billion to $138 billion between fiscal year 2000 and fiscal year 2008, while their acquisition workforce grew at a considerably lower rate. Furthermore, 55 percent of the current acquisition workforce will be eligible to retire in 2018--more than twice the number eligible in 2008-- which creates potential future skill shortages. To help address the challenges faced in the federal contracting environment, the President's fiscal year 2011 budget identifies the development of the federal acquisition workforce …

News release about DART's promotion of bicycling ahead of "Bike to Work" day.

News release about DART's annual senior health fair.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2008, the Department of Defense (DOD) obligated over $200 billion on contracts for services, which accounted for more than half of its total contract obligations. Given the serious budget pressures facing the nation, it is critical that DOD obtain value when buying these services. Yet DOD does not always use sound practices when acquiring services, and the department lacks sufficient people with the right skills to support its acquisitions. Although DOD has ongoing efforts to improve its planning, execution, and oversight of service acquisitions, many concerns that prompted GAO to put DOD contract management on its high-risk list in 1992 remain. The committee asked GAO to address challenges facing DOD in measuring the value from and risks associated with its contracting for services. This testimony provides an overview of key concerns GAO cited in its previous reports. Specifically it focuses on (1) challenges DOD faces in following sound contract and contracting management practices and (2) recent actions DOD has taken to improve its management of service contracting. GAO has made numerous recommendations over the past decade aimed at improving DOD's management and oversight of service …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R). GOES-R is to replace the current series of satellites, which will likely begin to reach the end of their useful lives in 2014. This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to summarize its report being released today that (1) determines the status of the GOES-R program, (2) evaluates whether plans for the acquisition address problems experienced on similar programs, and (3) determines whether NOAA's plan will be adequate to support current data requirements."

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lewis Ferguson. Ferguson joined the Navy in 1942 under the V-7 Program. After graduating, he received basic training in San Diego. He was then sent to Radar Operator School in Norfolk. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Cooper (DD-695). He received further training at Radar Materiel School in Pearl Harbor and was transferred to the USS Massey (DD-778). At the invasion of Okinawa, Ferguson tracked bogeys as far as 200 miles away. Although he could not see the action from his position in the radar shack, he felt the ship shudder as it fired at kamikazes. After the war, the Massey carried troops and mail to the occupation forces in Japan. Ferguson remembers the ship rolling 56 degrees during a typhoon there. He returned home and was discharged in January 1946; Ferguson found work teaching business administration to veterans.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert W Miller. Miller joined the Navy and completed Midshipmen’s School. Beginning early 1943, he served aboard USS Saufley (DD-465), on escort and antisubmarine duties in the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and New Hebrides area. Through January of 1944, they performed escort duties for the reinforcement of Bougainville. Miller was later assigned to COMDESPAC staff with the North Pacific Fleet in Alaska, and later assigned to teach fighter direction at the Hollywood Beach Hotel through the end of the war.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's work examining the uses and planning by selected states and localities for funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Recovery Act is estimated to cost about $787 billion over the next several years, of which about $280 billion will be administered through states and localities. Funds made available under the Recovery Act are being distributed to states, localities, and other entities and individuals through a combination of grants and direct assistance. As Congress may know, the stated purposes of the Recovery Act are to: (1) preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; (2) assist those most impacted by the recession; (3) provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; (4) invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and (5) stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. As described in GAO's March testimony, the Recovery Act specifies several roles for GAO including conducting bimonthly reviews of …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Among the efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies, the agency provides funding to states and organizations that offer abstinence-until-marriage education. GAO was asked to testify on the oversight of federally funded abstinence-until-marriage education programs. This testimony is primarily based on Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs, GAO-07-87 (Oct. 3, 2006). In this testimony, GAO discusses efforts by (1) HHS and states to assess the scientific accuracy of materials used in abstinence-until-marriage education programs and (2) HHS, states, and researchers to assess the effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage education programs. GAO also discusses a Public Health Service Act requirement regarding medically accurate information about condom effectiveness. GAO focused on the three main federally funded abstinence-until-marriage programs and reviewed documents and interviewed HHS officials in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Population Affairs (OPA). To update certain information, GAO contacted officials from ACF and OPA."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies are increasingly using electronic mail (e-mail) for essential communication. In doing so, they are potentially creating messages that have the status of federal records, which must be managed and preserved in accordance with the Federal Records Act. To carry out the records management responsibilities established in the act, agencies are to follow implementing regulations that include specific requirements for e-mail records. In view of the importance that e-mail plays in documenting government activities, GAO was asked to testify on issues relating to the preservation of electronic records, including e-mail. As agreed, GAO's statement discusses challenges facing agencies when managing their e-mail records, as well as current policies and practices for managing e-mail messages that qualify as federal records. This testimony is primarily based on preliminary results of ongoing work, in which GAO is examining, among other things, e-mail policies at four agencies of contrasting sizes and structures (the Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development), as well as the practices of selected senior officials."