Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) was directed by the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations to provide a report on the results of a review to streamline the processes for coordinating and sharing information with its critical infrastructure (CI) protection partners. GAO was unable to assess the extent to which NPPD's streamlining efforts were designed to ensure progress in four areas--mission clarity, useful and actionable work products, efficacy of planning and information sharing, and cost savings--because DHS's response does not discuss NPPD efforts to streamline those processes. Specifically, GAO's analysis of DHS's response showed that DHS provided information on NPPD efforts to coordinate and share information with its public and private partners (e.g., CI owners and operators) and the results of some of those efforts but did not provide information about any NPPD efforts to streamline the processes for coordination and information sharing. For example, DHS's response includes a section on coordinating and executing plans--one of the five topic areas that NPPD was required to include in its report--that describes who NPPD's partners are and ways that NPPD coordinates and executes …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Third parties, often businesses, reported more than $6 trillion in miscellaneous income payments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in tax year 2006 on Form 1099-MISC. Payees are to report this income on their tax returns. It has been long known that if these payments are not reported on 1099-MISCs, it is less likely that they will be reported on payee tax returns. In 2010, the reporting requirements were expanded to cover payments for goods and payments to corporations, both previously exempt, beginning in 2012. This testimony summarizes recent GAO reports and provides information on (1) benefits of the current requirements in terms of improved compliance by taxpayers and reduced taxpayer recordkeeping, (2) costs to the third-party businesses of the current 1099-MISC reporting requirement, and (3) options for mitigating the reporting burden for third-party businesses. GAO has not assessed the expansion of 1099-MISC reporting to payments for goods."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony is of Eugene L. Dodaro's appointment as the Comptroller General of the United States."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2007, the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) have been pilot testing a new disability evaluation system designed to integrate their separate processes and thereby expedite veterans' benefits for wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers. Having piloted the integrated disability evaluation system (IDES) at 27 military facilities, they are now planning for its expansion military-wide. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing review of the IDES pilot and draft report, which is currently with DOD and VA for agency comment. GAO conducted this review pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This review specifically examined: (1) the results of the agencies' evaluation of the IDES pilot, (2) challenges in implementing the IDES pilot to date, and (3) whether the agencies' plans to expand the IDES adequately address potential future challenges. To address these questions, GAO analyzed data from DOD and VA, conducted site visits at 10 military facilities, and interviewed DOD and VA officials."

This is a list of those speaking at the Proposed Clean Power Plan Federal Plan and Model Rules Public Hearings.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Witmer. Witmer joined the Navy in early 1943. Beginning in late 1943, he served as Second-Class Torpedoman aboard the USS Twiggs (DD-591). They completed training exercises in Bermuda and Pearl Harbor. They escorted convoys operating between Oahu and Eniwetok. Witmer also participated in the Philippines Campaign, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He recalls the kamikaze attack at Okinawa that sunk the Twiggs, and he received significant wounds. Witmer returned to the US and received his discharge in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jonah Peterson. Peterson was drafted into the Navy in 1943. He finished signal school in October and was assigned to the USS Cascade (AD-16), a destroyer tender. He was there at Ulithi for a while before transferring to the USS Argonne (AG-31) in time for the invasion of the Philippines. Peterson returned to the US in December and was discharged in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas M. Lawson. Lawson was born in Pierre, South Dakota in 1924. After two years of ROTC in college, he joined the Army Air Forces in August 1943. After basic training in Wichita Falls, Texas, he went to pilot training at Randolph Field in San Antonio. He was ready to solo in a PT-19 trainer, but his instructor pilot was not happy with his forced landing exercise and he was washed out. Being a pilot now out of the question, Lawson was sent to South Dakota for radio school, learning code, repair, radio navigation, and how to jump out of an airplane. Since the radioman on a B-17 relieved the waist gunner if he was incapacitated, he was then sent to Yuma, Arizona for 5 months of gunnery school. He then went to Panama City, Florida for additional flying familiarization. There he went on flights in B-17s over the gulf looking for submarines. His next duty station was Lincoln Army Air Base, Nebraska. He was to be given all his shots and assigned to a bomb group. Before this happened, however, the war ended, so he was assigned …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Thorney. Thorney was in the NROTC at Northwestern University when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was commissioned in September 1944, a year early, and sent to Florida for training in antisubmarine warfare. He was eventually assigned as the executive officer aboard USS PGM-2, a motorized patrol gunboat, in the Solomon Islands. Thorney recalls operating mostly at night around the Rabaul area interdicting Japanese supply efforts when he initally joined PGM-2. When the war ended, Thorney was at Okinawa still with PGM-2. They then wento to China to sweep mines from the Yangtze River.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Vaughn Attaway. Attaway was married and living on the farm when he was drafted into the Army in October, 1944. After training, Attaway was shipped to Luzon and attached to the 161st Infantry Battlaion, 25th Infantry Division. Attaway describes varoius patrols he conducted in the hills on Luzon. When the war ended, Attaway's unit began training for the invasion of Japan. When the war ended, Attaway was assigned occupation duty in Japan. Attaway shares a few anecdotes about occupation duty. Attaway returned to the US and was discharged in August, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dr. Walter N. Burnette. Burnette mentions being involved in the mafia and gaining permission to leave that life. From there, he went to West Point in 1940. His graduation was accelerated due to the war. He graduated in 1943 and was commissioned in the Army Air Forces. General Hap Armold pinned his wings on him. He was originally slated to fly B-25s or B-17s, but was too small to fly medium or heavy bombers so he transitioned to flying A-20s instead. After completing training, Burnette and six other A-20s were ordered to Casa Blanca. Burnette describes the trip to North Africa. Burnette was assigned to the 47th Bomb Goup, 12th Air Force and found his unit in Italy. He mentions seeing the Tuskegee Airmen. Burnette carried an Army infantry captain in the nose of his aircraft on a bombing mission and was then invited to visit the infantry on the front lines, which he did. He went on a dawn patrol and got close to the German lines. Burnette also describes attacking Monte Cassino. When Burnette finished 50 missions he was assigned to the 5th Air Force to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clayton Nattier. Nattier went into the Army Air Forces in October 1942 as an aviation cadet. In August, 1943 he earned his commission and his wings as a B-17 pilot. During training his eardrums ruptured and he was hospitalized. During recovery, he spent a lot of time in the Link trainer, which paid off later in his career. With his new crew, Nattier went overseas to England in June, 1944 and began flying combat missions at the end of July. In September, over Germany, Nattier's plane was hit and he and the crew had to bail out. Nattier was captured on the ground and became a prisoner of war. He provides very clear detail about bailing out and his captivity. The Russians liberated his camp toward the end of April after the Germans had vacated. He returned to the US on 20 June 1945 and was discharged in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Riggs. Riggs joined the Navy in March 1943 and trained at San Diego. He was then assigned as a parachute rigger in Torpedo Squadron 40 (VT-40) aboard the USS Suwannee (ACV-27) in February, 1945. He was aboard when the Suwannee participated in the Okinawa invasion. After the war, Riggs stayed in the Active Reserves until 1985, retiring as a master chief.

Report on waterborne freight shipping in the state of Texas.

News release about DART's adjusted service schedule in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.