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Tunisia: Recent Developments and Policy Issues (open access)

Tunisia: Recent Developments and Policy Issues

Report that discusses Tunisia's "Jasmine Revolution," the common term for President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's flight from the country following weeks of mounting anti-government protests. This report discusses how the Jasmine Revolution appears to have added momentum to anti-government sentiment in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and other countries. This report discusses Tunisia's pro-democracy movement; concerns over potential instability in a previously secure, pro-Western area; U.S.-Tunisian relations; and Tunisia's push for for a greater focus on trade.
Date: January 18, 2011
Creator: Arieff, Alexis
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Army's Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team (E-IBCT) Programs: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

The Army's Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team (E-IBCT) Programs: Background and Issues for Congress

Report that looks at budget requests for the Army's Future Combat System (FCS) program, Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program, and brigade combat teams (BCTs). It ends with a discussion of potential issues for Congress.
Date: January 18, 2011
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Guest Artist Recital and Student Recital: 2011-02-18 - Songs and Scenes by Jake Heggie

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
A student and guest artist recital performed at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall.
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: Heggie, Jake, 1961-
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library
Management Report: Improvements Are Needed in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (open access)

Management Report: Improvements Are Needed in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting for the Troubled Asset Relief Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) requires that we annually audit the financial statements of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which is implemented by the Office of Financial Stability (OFS). On November 15, 2010, we issued our audit report including (1) an unqualified opinion on OFS's financial statements for TARP as of and for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, and 2009, and (2) an opinion that OFS maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2010. We also reported that our tests of OFS's compliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, disclosed no instances of noncompliance. Our November 2010 audit report concluded that although certain internal controls could be improved, OFS maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2010, that provided reasonable assurance that misstatements, losses, or noncompliance material in relation to the financial statements would be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis. Our audit report also identified a significant deficiency in OFS's internal control over its accounting and financial …
Date: April 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2010 and 2009 Financial Statements (open access)

Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2010 and 2009 Financial Statements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Created in 1933 to insure bank deposits and promote sound banking practices, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) plays an important role in maintaining public confidence in the nation's financial system. FDIC administers the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), which protects bank and savings deposits, and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) Resolution Fund (FRF), which was created to close out the business of the former FSLIC. Section 17 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended, requires GAO to annually audit the financial statements of the DIF and the FRF. GAO is responsible for obtaining reasonable assurance about whether FDIC's financial statements for the DIF and the FRF are presented fairly in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and whether FDIC maintained effective internal control over financial reporting, and for testing FDIC's compliance with selected laws and regulations."
Date: March 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Income Security: The Effect of the 2007-2009 Recession on Older Adults (open access)

Income Security: The Effect of the 2007-2009 Recession on Older Adults

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the effects of the recent recession on older adults. While the recession officially ended in June 2009, our economy has experienced a weak recovery, with unemployment still above 9 percent. Older adults--particularly those close to or in retirement--may not have the same opportunities as younger adults to recover from the recession's effects. For example, older adults--generally those 55 and older--may have insufficient time to rebuild their depleted retirement savings due to sharp declines in financial markets and home equity, and increased medical costs. Further, while older workers are less likely to be unemployed than workers in younger age groups, when older workers lose a job they are less likely to find other employment. These changes have intensified older adults' concerns about having sufficient savings now and adequate income throughout retirement. Social Security forms the foundation of income for nearly all retiree households, providing 36 percent of aggregate income for households with a member aged 65 and older; however, it provides a much greater portion of income for low and middle income households. Pensions and assets together provide 31 percent of aggregate income. However, many …
Date: October 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: January 2011 Update [Reissued on March 22, 2011] (open access)

The Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: January 2011 Update [Reissued on March 22, 2011]

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1992, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations showing federal deficits and debt levels under different sets of assumptions. GAO developed its long-term model in response to a bipartisan request from Members of Congress concerned about the long-term effects of fiscal policy. GAO's simulations provide a broad context for consideration of policy options by illustrating both the importance of taking action and the magnitude of the steps necessary to change the path. They are not intended to suggest particular policy choices but rather to help facilitate a dialogue on this important issue. As in the past, GAO shows two simulations: "Baseline Extended" and an "Alternative." The Baseline Extended follows the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) January 2011 baseline estimates for the first 10 years and then simply holds revenue and spending other than interest on the debt and the large entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) constant as a share of gross domestic product (GDP). Revenue as a share of GDP over the entire period is higher than the historical average; discretionary spending is below average. In the Alternative simulation, tax provisions other than the temporary …
Date: March 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ballistic Missile Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Training Integration and Increase Transparency of Training Resources (open access)

Ballistic Missile Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Training Integration and Increase Transparency of Training Resources

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2002, the Department of Defense (DOD) has spent over $80 billion on developing and fielding a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) comprised of various land-and sea-based elements employed by multiple combatant commands and services. Since the time available to intercept a missile is short, integrating training among all organizations involved is important to connect seams where commands and elements must work together. In response to House Report 111-491 which accompanied H.R. 5136, GAO assessed the extent to which DOD has (1) developed a plan for integrating ballistic missile defense training across and among commands and multiple elements, and identified training roles, responsibilities, and commensurate authorities; and (2) identified and budgeted for the resources to support training. To do so, GAO analyzed DOD training instructions, plans, exercises, and budgets and assessed the extent to which the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the services have agreed on training cost estimates and funding responsibilities."
Date: July 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Food Safety Oversight: Food Safety Working Group Is a Positive First Step but Governmentwide Planning Is Needed to Address Fragmentation (open access)

Federal Food Safety Oversight: Food Safety Working Group Is a Positive First Step but Governmentwide Planning Is Needed to Address Fragmentation

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For more than a decade, GAO has reported on the fragmented nature of federal food safety oversight and how it results in inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources. In 2007, GAO added this issue to its high-risk list. In March 2009, the President established the Food Safety Working Group (FSWG) to coordinate federal efforts and establish food safety goals to make food safer. Section 21 of Public Law 111-139 mandated that GAO identify programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives with duplicative goals and activities. This review examines: (1) steps, if any, that the FSWG has taken to increase collaboration among federal food safety agencies, and (2) options we and others have identified to reduce fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in food safety oversight. GAO reviewed information about the FSWG and alternative organizational structures for food safety, and conducted interviews."
Date: March 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Part D: CMS Conducted Fraud and Abuse Compliance Plan Audits, but All Audit Findings Are Not Yet Available (open access)

Medicare Part D: CMS Conducted Fraud and Abuse Compliance Plan Audits, but All Audit Findings Are Not Yet Available

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare Part D program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), provides a voluntary, outpatient prescription drug benefit for eligible individuals 65 years and older and eligible individuals with disabilities. CMS contracts with private companies--such as health insurance companies and companies that manage pharmacy benefits--to provide Part D prescription drug plans for Medicare beneficiaries. These companies are referred to as Part D sponsors. About 27 million individuals were enrolled in Medicare Part D as of December 2009, and estimated Medicare Part D spending was $51 billion in fiscal year 2009. Because of Medicare's vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse, GAO has designated Medicare as a high-risk program. We and HHS's Inspector General have previously reported that the size, nature, and complexity of the Part D program make it a particular risk for fraud, waste, and abuse. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which established the Part D program, requires all Part D sponsors to have programs to safeguard Part D from fraud, waste, and abuse. CMS is responsible for managing and overseeing …
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Civil Rights Directorate Can Enhance Workforce Restructuring Efforts (open access)

Coast Guard: Civil Rights Directorate Can Enhance Workforce Restructuring Efforts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States Coast Guard's (USCG) Civil Rights Directorate's (CRD) principal functions are to provide Equal Opportunity (EO) services to its approximately 50,000 active duty military, and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) services to its 8,000 civilian employees. We reported in April 2010 that CRD had taken action to help resolve its management challenges, such as dissatisfaction among USCG personnel and to improve its civil rights program, primarily guided by recommendations resulting from a 2009 Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) study that CRD commissioned. Among these recommendations were that CRD centralize its organizational structure and institute a full-time equal employment workforce, which BAH expected would help significantly enhance program components, such as organizational cohesion. According to CRD officials, they implemented these recommendations in July 2009, and at the time of our last review continued to build on the organizational restructuring. In response to BAH recommendations, in July 2009 CRD: (1) Reorganized its field operations to deliver civil rights services by specialists through a centrally managed national structure divided into three national regions headed by regional managers. Regions are further divided into 14 subordinate zones. (2) Staffed the civil …
Date: July 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intragovernmental Revolving Funds: Commerce Departmental and Census Working Capital Funds Should Better Reflect Key Operating Principles (open access)

Intragovernmental Revolving Funds: Commerce Departmental and Census Working Capital Funds Should Better Reflect Key Operating Principles

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Agencies can improve their efficiency through the use of shared services, which are often financed through intragovernmental revolving funds (IRF). GAO was asked to (1) identify key operating principles the Commerce Departmental and Census Bureau Working Capital Funds (WCF), which are one type of IRF, should follow to ensure appropriate tracking and use of federal funds and (2) evaluate how departmental and Census policies and procedures for managing these WCFs reflect these principles. GAO identified four key operating principles based on a review of governmentwide guidance on business principles, internal controls, managerial cost accounting, and performance management. GAO also discussed the reasonableness of the principles with staff of the two WCFs and the Office of Management and Budget; these staff generally found the principles to be reasonable. GAO reviewed WCF authorizing legislation and statutory authorities, analyzed agency policies and data, and interviewed agency officials."
Date: November 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Prior Experience and Past Performance as Evaluation Criteria in the Award of Federal Construction Contracts (open access)

Prior Experience and Past Performance as Evaluation Criteria in the Award of Federal Construction Contracts

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the last 10 fiscal years, federal agencies have increased their spending on construction contracts, leading to obligations of almost $54 billion in fiscal year 2010. When awarding contracts, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires agencies to consider firms' performance records to help ensure that taxpayer dollars go to capable contractors. The FAR also provides agencies with broad discretion in deciding how they will consider firms' prior experience, which refers to whether the firms have done similar work before, and past performance, which describes how well they have done that work. As construction firms without prior federal contracting experience seek to gain entry into the federal marketplace, some may regard the consideration of these factors as an impediment. In response to your request for information on the consideration of prior experience and past performance, we reviewed (1) how selected agencies consider prior experience and past performance in awarding construction contracts and (2) the resources available to assist firms in gaining entry to the federal marketplace."
Date: October 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program: The Government's Exposure to AIG Following the Company's Recapitalization (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program: The Government's Exposure to AIG Following the Company's Recapitalization

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Assistance provided by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) to American International Group, Inc. (AIG) represented one of the federal government's largest investments in a private sector institution. AIG is a holding company that, through its subsidiaries, engages in a broad range of insurance and insurance-related activities in the United States and abroad. As part of GAO's statutory oversight of TARP, this report updates a set of indicators GAO last reported in January 2011. Specifically, GAO discusses (1) trends in the financial condition of AIG and its insurance companies, (2) the status of the government's exposure to AIG, and (3) trends in the unwinding of AIG Financial Products (AIGFP). To update the indicators, GAO primarily used available public filings as of March 31, 2011, and more current publicly available information; reviewed rating agencies' reports; and identified critical activities and discussed them with officials from Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and AIG. Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and AIG provided technical comments that GAO incorporated, as appropriate."
Date: July 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ryan White CARE Act: Estimated Effect of Continued Application of the Fiscal Year 2010 Stop-Loss Provision on 2011 Funding for Urban Areas (open access)

Ryan White CARE Act: Estimated Effect of Continued Application of the Fiscal Year 2010 Stop-Loss Provision on 2011 Funding for Urban Areas

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress asked us to estimate the effect on Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 (CARE Act) funding to urban areas if the stop-loss provision applicable in fiscal year 2010 was applied to funding for 2011 under a continuing resolution. The CARE Act, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), was enacted to address the needs of jurisdictions, health care providers, and people with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). In October 2009, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 (RWTEA) reauthorized CARE Act programs for fiscal years 2010 through 2013. Under the CARE Act, funding for urban areas--eligible metropolitan areas (EMA) and transitional grant areas (TGA)--is primarily provided through three categories of grants: (1) formula grants that are awarded based on the case counts of people with HIV/AIDS in an urban area; (2) supplemental grants that are awarded on a competitive basis based on an urban area's demonstration of need, including criteria such as HIV/AIDS prevalence; and (3) Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) grants, which are awarded for urban areas to address disparities in access, …
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Update on Federal Financial Risks and Claims Processing (open access)

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Update on Federal Financial Risks and Claims Processing

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on BP America Production Company's (BP) leased mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon. The total cost to clean up the massive and unprecedented oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon explosion (including costs to help pay for the spill's adverse impact on businesses and individuals in the region) are yet unknown, but have been estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. The extent to which the federal government will ultimately be required to pay costs associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill remains unclear. The complex legal framework in place for oil spill liability and response funding will play an integral role in determining who is responsible and will ultimately pay the costs associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In this regard, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as amended (OPA), which Congress enacted after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, authorized use of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (Fund) to pay for certain oil spill cleanup costs and damages using federal tax revenues for immediate response costs and when the responsible parties cannot …
Date: April 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
List of Selected Federal Programs That Have Similar or Overlapping Objectives, Provide Similar Services, or Are Fragmented Across Government Missions (open access)

List of Selected Federal Programs That Have Similar or Overlapping Objectives, Provide Similar Services, or Are Fragmented Across Government Missions

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: March 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Superfund: Information on the Nature and Costs of Cleanup Activities at Three Landfills in the Gulf Coast Region (open access)

Superfund: Information on the Nature and Costs of Cleanup Activities at Three Landfills in the Gulf Coast Region

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one in four Americans lives within 3 miles of a contaminated site, many of which pose serious risks to human health and the environment. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) provided the federal government with authority to respond to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances and created a trust fund to provide for certain cleanup activities. Under CERCLA, EPA established the Superfund program to address the threats that contaminated sites pose. Although EPA has paid for the cleanup of many of these sites through the Superfund program, funding for these cleanups has diminished in recent years. In 2010, we reported that EPA's estimated costs to clean up existing contaminated sites exceed the Superfund program's current funding levels and that some sites have not received sufficient funding for cleanup to proceed in the most cost-efficient manner. Additionally, in July 2009, we reported that EPA does not collect sufficient information on the cost of cleanup activities at Superfund sites and recommended, among other things, that EPA assess and improve the data it collects on the status and …
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Northern Ireland: The Peace Process (open access)

Northern Ireland: The Peace Process

For years, the British and Irish governments sought to facilitate a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Northern Ireland. This report provides a brief overview of the continuing peace talks and efforts in Northern Ireland, including the deal reached in February 2010 between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The report also discusses the United States' active support of the Northern Ireland peace process, including the future of the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: Archick, Kristin
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act: Role of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in the Municipal Securities Markets and Its Past Funding (open access)

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act: Role of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in the Municipal Securities Markets and Its Past Funding

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This letter formally transmits the documents used for an oral briefing we gave to Congress on January 12-13, 2011, in response to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. GAO was directed to study the role and importance of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) in the municipal securities markets as well as the manner and level at which GASB has been funded. GASB establishes standards of accounting and financial reporting for U.S. state and local governments. Established in 1984 as an operating component of the Financial Accounting Foundation (the Foundation), GASB is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as the body that sets generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for state and local governments. In conducting this study, GAO was to consult with the principal organizations representing state governors, legislators, local elected officials, and state and local finance officers. Specifically, in accordance with the mandate and discussions with Congress, our objectives were to address the following key questions: (1) What are key stakeholder views on the role and relevance of GASB in the municipal securities markets? and ( 2) What is the manner …
Date: January 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Consumer Finance: Regulatory Coverage Generally Exists for Financial Planners, but Consumer Protection Issues Remain (open access)

Consumer Finance: Regulatory Coverage Generally Exists for Financial Planners, but Consumer Protection Issues Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Consumers are increasingly turning for help to financial planners-- individuals who help clients meet their financial goals by providing assistance with such things as selecting investments and insurance products, and managing tax and estate planning. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act mandated that GAO study the oversight of financial planners. This report examines (1) how financial planners are regulated and overseen at the federal and state levels, (2) what is known about the effectiveness of this regulation, and (3) the advantages and disadvantages of alternative regulatory approaches. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed federal and state statutes and regulations, analyzed complaint and enforcement activity, and interviewed federal and state government entities and organizations representing financial planners, various other arms of the financial services industry, and consumers."
Date: January 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Vendor Relations: From Both Sides

This presentation discusses vendor services and relations both as a service provider and as a customer of vendor services, in relation to digital libraries.
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: Phillips, Mark Edward
Object Type: Presentation
System: The UNT Digital Library
What's the Difference?-Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data (open access)

What's the Difference?-Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data

This paper examines the differences in trade data from the United States and China in two ways. First, it compares the trade figures at the two digit level using the Harmonized System to discern any patterns in the discrepancies between the U.S. and Chinese data. The second approach to examining the differing trade data involves a review of the existing literature on the technical and non-technical sources of the trade data discrepancies, including an October 2009 joint China-U.S. report on statistical discrepancies in merchandise trade data.
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments (open access)

Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments

This report provides a basic overview of the island of Guam, including population and location, as well as the strategic significance of Guam for boosting U.S. deterrence and power projection in Asia.
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library