A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit, which is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS relies extensively on contractors to help it carry out its basic mission. Congress appropriated to CMS $1 billion for start-up administrative costs to implement provisions of MMA. Because CMS had discretion on how to use the appropriation, Congress asked GAO to determine (1) how CMS used the $1 billion MMA appropriation, (2) whether CMS's contracting practices and related internal controls were adequate to avoid waste and to prevent or detect improper payments, and (3) whether payments to contractors were properly supported as a valid use of government funds. To address objectives two and three above, our review extended beyond contract amounts paid with MMA funds."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will spend over $3 billion to process returns and provide taxpayer service. Effective service can reduce taxpayers' burden of complying with tax laws and, many tax experts believe, may improve compliance. GAO was asked to assess IRS's performance relative to 2007 goals and prior years' performance including identifying actions that might generate efficiencies and increase compliance. GAO analyzed IRS performance data, reviewed IRS operations at various locations, and interviewed IRS and paid preparer representatives."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Self-regulatory organizations (SRO) are exchanges and associations that operate and govern the markets, and that are subject to oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Among other things, SROs monitor the markets, investigate and discipline members involved in improper trading, and make referrals to SEC regarding suspicious trades by nonmembers. For industry self-regulation to function effectively, SEC must ensure that SROs are fulfilling their regulatory responsibilities. This report (1) discusses the structure of SEC's inspection program for SROs, (2) evaluates certain aspects of SEC's inspection program, and (3) describes the SRO referral process and evaluates SEC's information system for receiving SRO referrals. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed SEC inspection workpapers, analyzed SEC data on SRO referrals and related investigations, and interviewed SEC and SRO officials."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2003, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) significantly revised its in-house approach to managing and selling properties that become subject to foreclosure proceedings due to defaults by veterans on mortgages guaranteed by the department. VA contracted this function out to a private firm--Ocwen Financial Corporation (Ocwen)--after determining that doing so would increase the program's efficiency. VA oversees the Ocwen contract, which terminates in 2008, through onsite property inspections and other means. GAO was asked to (1) describe VA's inspection and other oversight findings and (2) evaluate VA's overall contract oversight program to determine whether any lessons can be learned prior to the implementation of the next contract in 2008. Among other steps, GAO reviewed VA inspection reports, accompanied VA staff on visits to three states, interviewed VA and Ocwen officials, and compared VA's procedures to those of other organizations that manage foreclosed properties."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Cleaning up the nation's three uranium enrichment plants will cost billions of dollars and could span decades. These plants--located near Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Paducah, Ky.; and Portsmouth, Ohio--are contaminated with radioactive and hazardous materials. In 1992, the Energy Policy Act created the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund (Fund) to pay for plant cleanup. Fund revenues come from an assessment on domestic utilities and federal government appropriations. In 2004, GAO reported on the Fund's sufficiency to cover authorized activities. GAO recommended that Congress consider reauthorizing the Fund for 3 more years, to 2010, and require the Department of Energy (DOE) to reassess the Fund's sufficiency before it expired to determine if further extensions were needed. Because decisions not yet made by DOE could affect the cost of cleanup and the Fund's sufficiency, GAO also recommended that DOE develop decontamination and decommissioning plans for the Paducah and Portsmouth plants that would identify the most probable time frames and costs for completing the cleanup work. This testimony is based on GAO's 2004 report. It summarizes the extent to which the Fund may be sufficient to cover authorized activities and the …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In August 2006, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) substantially modified its passenger screening policies based on the alleged transatlantic bomb plot uncovered by British authorities. With the aim of closing security gaps revealed by the alleged plot, the revised policies severely restricted the amount of liquids, gels, and aerosols TSA allowed passengers to bring through the checkpoint. At the Committee's request, GAO tested whether security gaps exist in the passenger screening process. To perform this work, GAO attempted to (1) obtain the instructions and components needed to create devices that a terrorist might use to cause severe damage to an airplane and threaten the safety of passengers and (2) test whether GAO investigators could pass through airport security checkpoints undetected with all the components needed to create the devices. GAO conducted covert testing at a nonrepresentative selection of 19 airports across the country. After concluding its tests, GAO provided TSA with two timely briefings to help it take corrective action. In these briefings, GAO suggested that TSA consider several actions to improve its passenger screening program, including aspects of human capital, processes, and technology. GAO is currently performing …

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Presented is GAO's performance and accountability report for fiscal year 2007. In the spirit of the Government Performance and Results Act, this annual report informs the Congress and the American people about what we have achieved on their behalf. The financial information and the data measuring GAO's performance contained in this report are complete and reliable."

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Daily student newspaper from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas that includes local, state and campus news along with advertising.

Weekly Jewish newspaper from Fort Worth, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.

Semi-weekly newspaper from Bastrop, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Port Aransas, Texas on Mustang Island that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Albany, Texas that includes local, county, and state news along with extensive advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

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

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

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

Semi-weekly newspaper from Livingston, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.

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

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

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (DOE) maintains emergency response capabilities and assets to quickly respond to potential nuclear and radiological threats in the United States. These capabilities are primarily found at DOE's two key emergency response facilities--the Remote Sensing Laboratories at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. These capabilities took on increased significance after the attacks of September 11, 2001, because of heightened concern that terrorists may try to detonate a nuclear or radiological device in a major U.S. city. DOE is not the only federal agency responsible for addressing nuclear and radiological threats. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for preparing the country to prevent and respond to a potential nuclear or radiological attack. This testimony discusses (1) the benefits of using DOE's aerial background radiation surveys to enhance emergency response capabilities and (2) the physical security measures in place at DOE's two key emergency response facilities and whether they are consistent with DOE guidance. It is based on GAO's report on DOE's nuclear and radiological emergency response capabilities, issued in September 2006 (Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Federal Efforts to Respond to …