A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government is the world's largest and most complex entity, with about $3.5 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2010 funding a broad array of programs and operations. GAO maintains a program to focus attention on government operations that it identifies as high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or the need for transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. Since 1990, GAO has designated over 50 areas as high risk and subsequently removed over one-third of the areas due to progress made. This biennial update describes the status of high-risk areas listed in 2009 and identifies any new high-risk area needing attention by Congress and the executive branch. Solutions to high-risk problems offer the potential to save billions of dollars, improve service to the public, and strengthen the performance and accountability of the U.S. government."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The foreign postal operators (foreign posts) in industrialized countries in GAO's review have been experiencing declining letter mail volumes and have modernized their delivery and retail networks to address this challenge. As requested, GAO reviewed the innovations and initiatives that foreign posts are using and the lessons the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) might learn to help it address plummeting mail volumes and record financial losses. This report examines initiatives foreign posts have implemented to improve mail delivery and retail networks and related results, and modernization strategies used by foreign posts that can inform consideration of proposals to improve USPS's financial condition and customer service. GAO selected foreign posts in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland as case studies based on characteristics, such as delivery and retail changes and country size and location. GAO reviewed foreign posts' documents, including annual reports and strategic plans related to delivery and retail network changes and innovations. GAO met with foreign post officials, toured their retail facilities, received briefings on their delivery and retail networks and other areas, and met with regulators, labor unions, and mailers to obtain their views …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From fiscal years 2001 through 2010, the Department of Defense's (DOD) spending for health care increased from about $19 billion to nearly $49 billion, representing approximately 6 percent of DOD's total spending in fiscal year 2001 and approximately 9 percent in fiscal year 2010. This health care spending primarily funds TRICARE--DOD's program that provides health care to active duty personnel and other beneficiaries, including retired servicemembers. According to DOD, the increase in its health care spending can be attributed to factors such as growth in the number of TRICARE beneficiaries. From fiscal years 2001 through 2010, the number of TRICARE beneficiaries increased by nearly 15 percent, from 8.3 million to 9.5 million beneficiaries. To help reduce DOD's health care costs, Congress passed section 707 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (section 707), which went into effect January 1, 2008. Section 707 prohibits employers with 20 or more employees from offering financial or other incentives to their employees who are eligible for TRICARE to not enroll in the employer-sponsored health insurance plan or to terminate such coverage. Historically, some employers offered financial or …

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.