News release concerning DART's annual senior health fair.

News release concerning DART's annual senior health fair.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eleanor Brown. From early 1942 through 1944, Brown served as a general mechanics helper at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, and had completed flight training. In April, she joined the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPs) in Sweetwater, Texas. Brown graduated, though WASP was disbanded in December of that same year. She returned to Kelly Field and continued to work as the first woman mechanic at the Air Force Base.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ethel ""Sally"" Blaine Millett. Millett grew up in Missouri and went to nurses training in San Diego, California. She volunteered for the Philippines in 1941. She witnessed the bombing at Clark Field. She took care of the soldiers wounded by Japanese strafing. When the bombing got too bad, the nurses left Statsenberg for Manila. Because of continued Japanese bombing all over the Philippines, the nurses had to keep moving as the hospitals moved. She describes having malaria and then having to evacuate from Bataan to Corregidor. Then they went to Mindanao where they were formally captured by the Japanese. They were moved to Davao and then to Santo Tomas. She describes losing her possessions. She describes life in the internment camp: the food, the work required, the sanitary conditions, the self-government, the birthrate, and the entertainment. Millett has to have an operation while at Santo Tomas. She also describes executions. Finally, the American soldiers arrived, and she took a plane home in February 1945. Her brother met her in San Francisco.

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses three bills that would change the overall leadership and management of programs to combat terrorism. The three bills--H.R. 525, H.R. 1158, and H.R. 1292--vary in scope. H.R. 525 focuses on federal programs to prepare state and local governments for domestic terrorist attacks. Both H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1292 focus on the larger issue of homeland security, which includes terrorism and additional threats such as military attacks. The bills are similar in that they all advocate a single focal point for programs to combat terrorism. However, some bills place the focal point in the Executive Office of the President and others place it with a lead executive agency. In addition, the three bills provide the focal point with different, but often similar, duties to improve the management of federal programs. To the extent that these three bills--or some hybrid of them--address these problem areas, GAO believes that federal programs to combat terrorism will be improved. It will be important to develop a consensus on these matters and provide the focal point with legitimacy and authority through legislation are important tasks that lie ahead."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The data indicate that federal paperwork increased by nearly 180 million burden hours during fiscal year 2000--the second-largest one-year increase since the act was passed. This increase is largely attributed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which raised its paperwork estimate by about 240 million burden hours. The rest of the government decreased its burden estimate by about 70 million burden hours during the fiscal year. Within that non-IRS grouping, some agencies were more successful than others in reducing their paperwork estimates and some increased their estimates. In addition, federal agencies identified a total of 487 violations of the PRA during fiscal year 2000--fewer than the 710 they identified during fiscal year 1999. These 487 violations, however, represent substantial opportunity costs and many have persisted for years. GAO believes that the Office of Management and Budget can do more to ensure that agencies do not use information collections without proper clearance."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 requires federal agencies to examine the impact of their proposed and final rules on small businesses, small governmental jurisdictions, and small organizations and to solicit the ideas and comments of such entities for this purpose. Specifically, whenever agencies are required to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking, the act requires agencies to prepare an initial and a final regulatory flexibility analysis. However, those analytical requirements do not apply if the head of the agency certifies that the rule will not have a "significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities." The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 was enacted to strengthen the protections for small entities, and some of the requirements of that legislation are built on this significant impact determination. Although both of these reform initiatives have clearly affected how federal agencies regulate, their full promise has not been realized. The Regulatory Flexibility Act does not define what Congress meant by the terms "significant economic impact" and "substantial number of small entities" and does not give any entity the authority or responsibility to define them governmentwide. As …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The District of Columbia Family Act of 2001 was enacted to (1) redesignate the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as the Family Court of the Superior Court, (2) recruit trained and experienced judges to serve in the Family Court, and (3) promote consistency and efficiency in the assignment of judges to the Family Court and in its consideration of actions and proceedings. GAO found the Superior Court made progress in planning the transition of its Family Division to a Family Court, but some challenges remain. The transition requires the timely completion of a series of interdependent plans to obtain and renovate physical space for the court and its functions. Adequate space may not be available to support the additional judges the Family Court needs. Furthermore, the development of the Integrated Justice Information System will be critical for the Family Court's operational effectiveness, its ability to evaluate its performance, and to meet the judicial goals mandated by the Family Court Act."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's fiscal year 2001 performance and results, current challenges and future plans, and GAO's budget request for fiscal year 2003."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Housing Affordability for America Act of 2002 establishes risk-based capital requirements for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Through the fund, FHA operates a single-family insurance program that helps millions of Americans buy homes. The Fund's estimated value rose dramatically in 1999, prompting proposals to spend current resources or reduce net cash flows into the Fund. The value of the Fund at the end of fiscal year 1999 was $15.8 billion. This capital ratio of 3.20 percent of the unamortized insurance-in-force exceeded the minimum required capital ratio of two percent. A two-percent capital ratio appears sufficient to withstand moderately severe economic downturns that could lead to worse-than-expected loan performance. Determining an appropriate capital ratio depends on the level of risk Congress wishes the Fund to withstand. FHA faces the failure of borrowers to perform, or credit risk, and the risk of managerial shortcomings, or operational risk. By defining the risk that the Fund must withstand, the act will define actuarial soundness and help FHA manage the Fund."

Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management (SLURM) is an open source, fault-tolerant, and highly scalable cluster management and job scheduling system for Linux clusters of thousands of nodes. Components include machine status, partition management, job management, and scheduling modules. The design also includes a scalable, general-purpose communication infrastructure. Development will take place in four phases: Phase I results in a solid infrastructure; Phase II produces a functional but limited interactive job initiation capability without use of the interconnect/switch; Phase III provides switch support and documentation; Phase IV provides job status, fault-tolerance, and job queuing and control through Livermore's Distributed Production Control System (DPCS), a meta-batch and resource management system.

Email notice of a failed message.

Email from Daniel Graney to Rick Walker about the number of Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus board members.

A form for student organizations to reserve a space in the UNT Multicultural Center for meetings. At the bottom is a space for them to evaluate their experience. The MC logo is at the top by the title.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The decennial census is a Constitutionally-mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. The Census Bureau (Bureau) estimates the 2010 Census will cost $11.3 billion, making it the most expensive in the nation's history. This testimony discusses the Bureau's progress in preparing for the 2010 Census to (1) implement operations to increase the response rate and control costs; (2) use technology to increase productivity; (3) hire and train temporary staff; and (4) plan an accurate census in areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The testimony is based on previously issued GAO reports and work nearing completion in which GAO observed recruiting, hiring, and training practices in the 2006 test, and visited localities that participated in the Local Update of Addresses Dress Rehearsal as well in the Gulf Coast region."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The purpose of this testimony is to assist the Committees in monitoring progress on the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) project. This testimony will focus on (1) the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) construction progress since the last CVC hearing on March 13, 2007; and (2) the project's expected cost at completion and funding status. GAO's remarks are based on our review of schedules and financial reports for the CVC project and related records maintained by AOC and its construction management contractor, Gilbane Building Company; observations on the progress of work at the CVC construction site; and discussions with the CVC team (AOC and its major CVC contractors), AOC's Chief Fire Marshal, and representatives from the U.S. Capitol Police."

News release about an increase in the price of DART fares and passes.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 05) authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a loan guarantee program (LGP) for projects intended to, decrease air pollutants or man-made greenhouse gases, employ new or significantly better technologies, and have a reasonable prospect of repayment. The Federal Credit Reform Act requires appropriated budget authority for LGP costs before loans can be made. In 2006, DOE solicited preapplications to the LGP, stating it intended to issue up to $2 billion in guarantees. It also issued guidelines for these proposals, stating that borrowers would ultimately pay for all costs, but funding was authorized. This testimony is based on GAO's February 2007 report (Department of Energy: Key Steps Needed to Help Ensure the Success of the New Loan Guarantee Program, GAO-07-339R) and its April 20, 2007 legal opinion (B-308715). GAO discusses the sources and use of funds for the LGP in fiscal years 2006 and 2007; DOE's authority to implement the LGP and to fund the program before Congress had appropriated funding; extent to which the LGP could result in a financial risk to the taxpayer; and steps DOE has taken …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, about 76 million people contract a foodborne illness in the United States; about 325,000 require hospitalization; and about 5,000 die. The outbreaks of E. coli in spinach and Salmonella in peanut butter, along with contamination in pet food, have highlighted the risks posed by accidental food contamination. The attacks of September 11, 2001, heightened awareness that the food supply could also be vulnerable to deliberate contamination. This testimony focuses on the (1) role that GAO's high-risk series can play in raising the priority and visibility of the need to transform federal oversight of food safety, (2) fragmented nature of federal oversight of food safety, and (3) limitations in federal food recall programs."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under the federal transit benefits program, federal employees receive transit benefits (e.g., Metrocheks) to encourage them to commute to work via public transportation. Based on information provided by the Department of Transportation, as of July 2006, the National Capital Region had 120,000 participants claiming roughly $140 million in benefits. Recently, inspectors general (IG) of various agencies have found numerous prior instances of fraud, waste, and abuse in this federal program. Based on both the significance of these IG findings and the amount of federal money spent on transit benefits, GAO was asked to (1) investigate allegations that federal employees in the National Capital Region are involved in fraud and abuse related to the transit benefits program, (2) identify the potential causes of any fraud or abuse that is detected, and (3) estimate the magnitude of fraud and abuse in the National Capital Region in 2006. To address these objectives, GAO identified federal employees selling their transit benefits on the Internet and obtained additional data from these sellers' employing agencies to determine whether more widespread problems existed. GAO also obtained the policies and procedures governing the transit benefits program …

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 abandoned vehicles seized by the county sheriff must be disposed of pursuant to Transportation Code chapter 683 or Code of Criminal Procedure article 18.17.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In controlling the transfer of weapons and related technologies overseas, the U.S. government must limit the possibility of sensitive items falling into the wrong hands while allowing legitimate trade to occur. Achieving this balance has become more challenging due to redefined security threats and a globalized economy. The export control system is a key component of the safety net of programs intended to balance multiple U.S. interests. The export control system is managed primarily by the State Department, which regulates arms exports, and the Commerce Department, which regulates dual-use exports that have military and civilian applications. Unless an exemption applies, arms exports require licenses, while many dual-use exports do not require licenses. Based on GAO's extensive body of work on the export control system, this testimony focuses on export licensing inefficiencies, poor interagency coordination, and limits in State's and Commerce's ability to provide a sound basis for changes to the system. In prior work, GAO made recommendations to address vulnerabilities in the export control system, but many have not been implemented. Because of these vulnerabilities and others identified in the larger safety net of programs, GAO has designated …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For many years, untreated wastewater originating in Tijuana, Mexico, has entered the United States, largely via the Tijuana River. Tijuana's sewage system does not have the capacity to treat all of the city's wastewater, and some areas of the city are not connected to the sewer system. Tijuana's higher elevation results in sewage flowing downhill into California and out to the Pacific Ocean, causing beach closures in southern California. In the 1990s, the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the problem by constructing the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in San Ysidro, California. The SBIWTP began providing the first level of treatment, known as primary treatment, to 25 million gallons per day (mgd) of Mexican wastewater in 1997. However, the part of the facility that would have provided secondary treatment, allowing the wastewater to meet Clean Water Act (CWA) standards for discharge into the Pacific Ocean, was not constructed due to a lack of funding and legal challenges. As a result, water discharged from the SBIWTP is only partially treated and …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In March 2008, GAO issued a report entitled Nanotechnology: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure Accurate Reporting of Federal Research Focused on Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks (GAO-08-402). In this report, GAO reviewed the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a multiagency effort administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The NNI coordinates the nanotechnology-related activities of 25 federal agencies that fund nanoscale research or have a stake in the results. A key research area funded by some agencies related to studying the potential environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risks that may result from exposure to nanoscale materials. For this testimony statement, GAO was asked to summarize the findings of its March 2008 report, focusing on (1) the extent to which selected agencies conducted EHS research in fiscal year 2006; (2) the reasonableness of the agencies' and the NNI's processes to identify and prioritize EHS research; and (3) the effectiveness of the agencies' and the NNI's process to coordinate EHS research."