Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In testimony in October 2002 and in a report issued in April 2003 we raised concerns about the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) accountability for computers and computer-related equipment bought with government purchase cards. Our review identified a large volume of computers and computer-related purchases for which HUD did not have adequate supporting documentation. In addition, HUD acknowledged that items bought with purchase cards were not being consistently entered in its asset management system thereby increasing its vulnerability to loss or theft. Given these findings, and the approximately $59 million HUD reported it has spent on computers and computer-related equipment and services over the last 3 fiscal years, Congress asked of us to further assess HUD's accountability for these vulnerable assets. Specifically, it was requested that we determine whether HUD had established an effective system of internal control for maintaining accountability over its computer equipment. Our review covered HUD's systems and controls in place during fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program provides services such as vocational counseling and job training to assist veterans with service-connected disabilities obtain and maintain suitable employment and achieve maximum independence in daily living. In fiscal year 2006, the VR&E program obligated about $702 million and served about 89,000 veterans. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which administers the VR&E program, provides some services to veterans through two types of contracts--national contracts and local contracts. In fiscal year 2003, VA adopted the National Acquisition Strategy (NAS) to award contracts at the national level to ensure that veterans have access to the same quality and types of VR&E services across regional offices. These national contracts, once awarded, are implemented by VA's regional offices. Services available under these national contracts include initial evaluations, case management, and employment placement assistance. In fiscal year 2006, VR&E spent about $15 million through national contracts. There are 165 national contracts currently active in fiscal year 2007. Regional offices also can negotiate and implement local contracts for services that are not provided through national contracts such as tutoring and computer skills …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Welfare reform significantly changed federal policy for low-income families with children and established a five-year lifetime limit on cash assistance. Welfare reform also extended transitional Medicaid assistance through 2001. States have implemented various initiatives to help families move from cash assistance to the workforce, including some enhancements to transitional Medicaid. These initiatives likely helped to cut cash assistance caseloads by more than half from 1996 through mid-2001. Low-wage or part-time jobs--which are common for newly working individuals--often do not come with affordable health insurance, thus making transitional Medicaid coverage an important option. The implementation of transitional Medicaid assistance varied across the 21 states that GAO reviewed. State practices enhanced beneficiaries' ability to retain Medicaid coverage. However, many families did not receive their full transitional Medicaid assistance benefits because they failed to report their income three times during the 12-month period of coverage. Amending the Medicaid statute to provide states with greater flexibility to ease income-reporting requirements, as has been done for other aspects of the Medicaid program, could facilitate uninterrupted health insurance coverage for families moving from cash assistance to the workforce."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In addition to protecting investors and the integrity of the securities market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), along with the Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and the Department of Agriculture, monitors and enforces the nation's trade agreements. Markets have become more complex, global, and technology-driven. At the same time SEC's workload is growing at a rate much faster than staffing. Workload and staffing imbalances have affected most aspects of SEC's regulatory and supervisory activities, from its inhouse technological capabilities to its enforcement actions against market participants. Other agencies that monitor U.S. trade agreements also face human capital challenges. Since the early 1980s, the United States has entered into several hundred trade agreements that have dramatically increased monitoring and enforcement workloads at USTR, Commerce, and Agriculture. This workload has continued to grow during the past two years as a result of major multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade negotiations. These agencies' efforts to monitor and enforce trade agreements are hampered by a lack of sufficient staff with appropriate expertise. Furthermore, they did not receive adequate support from other agencies and had difficulty obtaining …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses some of the systemic conditions in Iraq that contribute to the fraud, waste, or abuse of U.S.-provided funds. Since 2003, DOD has reported total costs of about $257.5 billion for military operations in Iraq; these have increased from about $38.8 billion in fiscal year 2003 to about $83.4 billion in fiscal year 2006. The largest increase has been in operation and maintenance expenses, including items such as support for housing, food, and services; the repair of equipment; and transportation of people, supplies and equipment. Many of the operation and maintenance expenses are for services. Other U.S. government agencies had reported obligations of $29 billion for Iraqi reconstruction and stabilization, as of October 2006. These funds have been used for, among other things, infrastructure repair of the electricity, oil, water, and health sectors; training and equipping of the Iraqi security forces; and administrative expenses. Specifically, the testimony focuses on (1) security, (2) management and reporting of the program to train and equip Iraqi security forces, (3) contracting and contract management activities, and (4) Iraqi capacity and commitment to manage and fund reconstruction and security efforts."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plays a vital role in advancing transportation safety by investigating accidents, determining their causes, issuing safety recommendations, and conducting safety studies. To support its mission, NTSB's training center provides training to NTSB investigators and others. It is important that NTSB use its resources efficiently to carry out its mission. In 2006, GAO made recommendations to NTSB in most of these areas. In 2007, an independent auditor made information security recommendations. This testimony addresses NTSB's progress in following leading practices in selected management areas, increasing the efficiency of aspects of investigating accidents and conducting safety studies, increasing the utilization of its training center, and improving information security. This testimony is based on GAO's assessment of agency plans and procedures developed to address these recommendations."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Among the efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies, the agency provides funding to states and organizations that offer abstinence-until-marriage education. GAO was asked to testify on the oversight of federally funded abstinence-until-marriage education programs. This testimony is primarily based on Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs, GAO-07-87 (Oct. 3, 2006). In this testimony, GAO discusses efforts by (1) HHS and states to assess the scientific accuracy of materials used in abstinence-until-marriage education programs and (2) HHS, states, and researchers to assess the effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage education programs. GAO also discusses a Public Health Service Act requirement regarding medically accurate information about condom effectiveness. GAO focused on the three main federally funded abstinence-until-marriage programs and reviewed documents and interviewed HHS officials in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Population Affairs (OPA). To update certain information, GAO contacted officials from ACF and OPA."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the civilian labor force, which is defined as those 16 and older (including federal workers) who are employed or looking for work and are not in the military or institutionalized. In August 2006, GAO reported on factors affecting Hispanic representation in the federal workforce and efforts being taken by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and other agencies, including the Small Business Administration (SBA)--an independent agency that aids, counsels, assists, and protects the interests of small business concerns (GAO-06-832). In May 2007, GAO issued a report that contained data on Hispanic representation in the federal government through fiscal year 2006 (GAO-07-493R). In April 2008, GAO testified on diversity in the Senior Executive Service (SES) and the senior ranks of the U.S. Postal Service (GAO-08-609T). In response to a request to provide updated information on minorities and Hispanics in the federal workforce, GAO is providing demographic data--with an emphasis on Hispanic representation--related to the federal government as a whole and SBA's workforce. GAO obtained these data from OPM's Central Personnel Data File (CPDF)."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R). GOES-R is to replace the current series of satellites, which will likely begin to reach the end of their useful lives in 2014. This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to summarize its report being released today that (1) determines the status of the GOES-R program, (2) evaluates whether plans for the acquisition address problems experienced on similar programs, and (3) determines whether NOAA's plan will be adequate to support current data requirements."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Family Court, established by the D.C. Family Court Act of 2001, was created in part to transition the former Family Division of the D.C. Superior Court into a court solely dedicated to matters concerning children and families. The act required the transfer of abuse and neglect cases by October 2003 and the implementation of case management practices to expedite their resolution in accordance with timeframes established by the Adoptions and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA); a plan for space, equipment, and other needs; and that the Superior Court integrate its computer systems with those of other D.C. agencies. The act also reformed court practices and established procedures intended to improve interactions between the court and social service agencies in the District. One such agency, the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), is responsible for protecting children at risk of abuse and neglect and ensuring that services are provided for them and their families. Both social service agencies and the courts play an important role in addressing child welfare issues. Representative Tom Davis, Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, asked GAO to assess the Family …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies are increasingly using electronic mail (e-mail) for essential communication. In doing so, they are potentially creating messages that have the status of federal records, which must be managed and preserved in accordance with the Federal Records Act. To carry out the records management responsibilities established in the act, agencies are to follow implementing regulations that include specific requirements for e-mail records. In view of the importance that e-mail plays in documenting government activities, GAO was asked to testify on issues relating to the preservation of electronic records, including e-mail. As agreed, GAO's statement discusses challenges facing agencies when managing their e-mail records, as well as current policies and practices for managing e-mail messages that qualify as federal records. This testimony is primarily based on preliminary results of ongoing work, in which GAO is examining, among other things, e-mail policies at four agencies of contrasting sizes and structures (the Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development), as well as the practices of selected senior officials."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's work examining the uses and planning by selected states and localities for funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Recovery Act is estimated to cost about $787 billion over the next several years, of which about $280 billion will be administered through states and localities. Funds made available under the Recovery Act are being distributed to states, localities, and other entities and individuals through a combination of grants and direct assistance. As Congress may know, the stated purposes of the Recovery Act are to: (1) preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; (2) assist those most impacted by the recession; (3) provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; (4) invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and (5) stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. As described in GAO's March testimony, the Recovery Act specifies several roles for GAO including conducting bimonthly reviews of …

This transcript is the record of an interview with Paula Sibilia about how technology affects her work as part of a lecture series, "Women Art Technology." During the interview, Sibilia discusses her research into how technological body modifications affect the cultural, social, and philosophical aspects of the human body. The transcript includes a brief introduction with a biography of Sibilia and general information about the lecture series and the specific interview. A list of 'Suggested reading' materials is also listed at the end of the transcript.

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, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Applicability of new requirements for portable facilities and concrete crushers imposed by amendments to the Texas Clean Air Act.

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, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation may use Development Corporation Act of 1979, section 4B sales and use taxes to fund a project that does not promote business development.

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 a school district may pay attorneys’ fees to non-prevailing part in litigation (RQ-0002-GA)

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 the Texas Legislature is required to undertake congressional redistricting for the electoral period 2003-2010 (RQ-0017-GA)

For this Aluminum Industry of the Future (IOF) project, the effect of impurities on the processing of aluminum alloys was systematically investigated. The work was carried out as a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Industrial support was provided by ALCOA and ThermoCalc, Inc. The achievements described below were made. A method that combines first-principles calculation and calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) was used to develop the multicomponent database Al-Ca-K-Li-Mg-Na. This method was extensively used in this project for the development of a thermodynamic database. The first-principles approach provided some thermodynamic property data that are not available in the open literature. These calculated results were used in the thermodynamic modeling as experimental data. Some of the thermodynamic property data are difficult, if not impossible, to measure. The method developed and used in this project allows the estimation of these data for thermodynamic database development. The multicomponent database Al-Ca-K-Li-Mg-Na was developed. Elements such as Ca, Li, Na, and K are impurities that strongly affect the formability and corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys. However, these impurity elements are not included in the commercial aluminum alloy database. The process of thermodynamic modeling began from Al-Na, Ca-Li, Li-Na, …

Adequate path calibrations are crucial for improving the accuracy of seismic event location and origin time, size, and mechanism, as required for CTBT monitoring. There is considerable information on structure in broadband seismograms that is currently not fully utilized. The limitations have been largely theoretical. the development and application to solid earth problems of powerful numerical techniques, such as the Spectral Element Method (SEM), has opened a new era, and theoretically, it should be possible to compute the complete predicted wavefield accurately without any restrictions on the strength or spatial extent of heterogeneity. This approach requires considerable computational power, which is currently not fully reachable in practice. We propose an approach which relies on a cascade of increasingly accurate theoretical approximations for the computation of the seismic wavefield to develop a model of regional structure for the area of Eurasia located between longitudes of 30 and 150 degrees E, and latitudes of -10 to 60 degrees North. The selected area is particularly suitable for the purpose of this experiment, as it is highly heterogeneous, presenting a challenge for calibration purposes, but it is well surrounded by earthquake sources and, even though they are sparsely distributed, a significant number of high …

A press release written by Charles C. Francis, as Co-Chairman of the Republican Unity Coalition, about the recent comments of Senator Rick Santorum comparing homosexuality to bigamy, incest, polygamy, and adultery. Francis requests an immediate apology but does not condemn Santorum for his actions.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2008, the Department of Defense (DOD) obligated over $200 billion on contracts for services, which accounted for more than half of its total contract obligations. Given the serious budget pressures facing the nation, it is critical that DOD obtain value when buying these services. Yet DOD does not always use sound practices when acquiring services, and the department lacks sufficient people with the right skills to support its acquisitions. Although DOD has ongoing efforts to improve its planning, execution, and oversight of service acquisitions, many concerns that prompted GAO to put DOD contract management on its high-risk list in 1992 remain. The committee asked GAO to address challenges facing DOD in measuring the value from and risks associated with its contracting for services. This testimony provides an overview of key concerns GAO cited in its previous reports. Specifically it focuses on (1) challenges DOD faces in following sound contract and contracting management practices and (2) recent actions DOD has taken to improve its management of service contracting. GAO has made numerous recommendations over the past decade aimed at improving DOD's management and oversight of service …

Notification of an email that failed to send.

Email from Stan Main to Rick Walker about the attendees of the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus meeting.

Email notification to Rick Walker about an email that failed to send.