Earthquake in China

As many of you have no doubt read, yesterday China had an earthquake measuring 7.9 in magnitude strike near the city of Chengdu. These are a few resources to check out on this disaster:

• Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China This compiles government articles, response, videos, and additional details on this earthquake.
• USGS record of the Earthquake This page links to USGS information (including maps and technical data) from the Earthquake Hazards Program on the earthquake.
• "Death Toll From Chinese Earthquake Exceeds 12,000: 7.9-Magnitude Temblor, Centered in Sichuan, Is Country's Worst in Decades" further details from the Washington Post.
• Library guides: China and Emergencies, conflicts and disasters
  

GAO Releases this week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as value added taxes, social security and baby boomers, prescription drugs, aviation and the environment, and flood and wind insurance. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Department of Homeland Security: Better Planning and Assessment Needed to Improve Outcomes for Complex Service Acquisitions. GAO-08-263, April 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-263
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08263high.pdf
• Employment and Training Program Grants: Evaluating Impact and Enhancing Monitoring Would Improve Accountability. GAO-08-486, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-486
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08486high.pdf
  
• Federal Real Property: Corps of Engineers Needs to Improve the Reliability of Its Real Property Disposal Data. GAO-08-349, May 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-349
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08349high.pdf
• Human Capital: Corps of Engineers Needs to Update Its Workforce Planning Process to More Effectively Address Its Current and Future Workforce Needs. GAO-08-596, May 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-596
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08596high.pdf
• Interagency Contracting: Need for Improved Information and Policy Implementation at the Department of State. GAO-08-578, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-578
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08578high.pdf
• Natural Catastrophe Insurance: Analysis of a Proposed Combined Federal Flood and Wind Insurance Program. GAO-08-504, April 25.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-504
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08504high.pdf
  
• Offshore Marine Aquaculture: Multiple Administrative and Environmental Issues Need to Be Addressed in Establishing a U.S. Regulatory Framework. GAO-08-594, May 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-594
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08594high.pdf
• Value-Added Taxes: Lessons Learned from Other Countries on Compliance Risks, Administrative Costs, Compliance Burden, and Transition. GAO-08-566, April 4.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-566
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08566high.pdf

Correspondence

• Preliminary Observations on the Use and Oversight of U.S. Coalition Support Funds Provided to Pakistan. GAO-08-735R, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-735R

Testimonies

• Aviation and the Environment: NextGen and Research and Development Are Keys to Reducing Emissions and Their Impact on Health and Climate, by Gerald L. Dillingham, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-08-706T, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-706T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08706thigh.pdf
• Department of Homeland Security: Better Planning and Oversight Needed to Improve Complex Service Acquisition Outcomes, by John P. Hutton, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-08-765T, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-765T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08765thigh.pdf
• Employment Verification: Challenges Exist in Implementing a Mandatory Electronic Employment Verification System, by Richard M. Stana, director, homeland security and justice issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-08-729T, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-729T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08729thigh.pdf
• Human Capital: Transforming Federal Recruiting and Hiring Efforts, by Robert N. Goldenkoff, director, strategic issues, before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-08-762T, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-762T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08762thigh.pdf
• Medicare: Competitive Bidding for Medical Equipment and Supplies Could Reduce Program Payments, but Adequate Oversight Is Critical, by Kathleen M. King, director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-08-767T, May 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-767T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08767thigh.pdf
• Physical Infrastructure: Challenges and Investment Options for the Nation's Infrastructure, by Patricia A. Dalton, managing director, physical infrastructure issues, before the House Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-08-763T, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-763T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08763thigh.pdf
• Prescription Drugs: Trends in FDA's Oversight of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising, by Marcia G. Crosse, director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-08-758T, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-758T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08758thigh.pdf
  
• Social Security Administration Field Offices: Reduced Workforce Faces Challenges as Baby Boomers Retire, by Barbara D. Bovbjerg, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Senate Committee on Finance. GAO-08-737T, May 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-737T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08737thigh.pdf

CRS reports available

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us CRS reports on the Post Office, gas tax, student loans, and much more. While these reports are in the public domain there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your Senator or Representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by Secrecy News and OpenCRS:

• China’s Foreign Policy and ‘Soft Power’ in South America, Asia, and Africa
• Removing Aliens from the United States: Judicial Review of Removal Orders
• Churches and Campaign Activity: Analysis Under Tax and Campaign Finance Laws
• Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes
• Proposals to Ensure the Availability of Federal Student Loans During an Economic Downturn: A Brief Overview of H.R. 5715 and S. 2815
• Cleanup of U.S. Military Munitions: Authorities, Status, and Costs
• Foreign Investment, CFIUS, and Homeland Security: An Overview
• Organizing the U.S. Government for National Security: Overview of the Interagency Reform Debates
• 2008-2009 Presidential Transition: National Security Considerations and Options
• U.S. Postal Service Workforce Size and Employment Categories, 1987-2007
• Current Law and Selected Proposals Extending Unemployment Compensation
• H.R. 3185: The 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2007
• The Small Business Innovation Research Program: Reauthorization Efforts
• U.S. Airline Industry: Issues and Role of Congress
• The U.S. Trade Situation for Fruit and Vegetable Products
• The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues
• Suicide Prevention Among Veterans
• High Agricultural Commodity Prices: What Are the Issues?
• Transportation Fuel Taxes: Impacts of a Repeal or Moratorium

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Burma/Myanmar Cyclone

Cyclone Nargis hit the country of Myanmar (known as Burma by the US government) on May 3, 2008. This cyclone has devastated the area of Burma home to the previous capital of Rangoon. Currently 60,000 people are estimated missing or dead in the region. To learn more check out these resources:

• President Bush's statement on US Aid being offered and how more would be available in Burma let the disaster assessment teams into the country.
• First Lady Laura Bush's statement on the tragedy and aid (much more detail)
• UN news release with links to groups offering assistance
• NASA web imagery of the cyclone and the aftermath
• Mynamar/Burma guide (provides links to the government web pages, where there is little discussion of what is happening
• "60,000 Dead or Missing in Burma: Bush Offers Navy Units as Aid Begins to Reach Rangoon" from the Washington Post
  

Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Watching

Did you know the Census Bureau conducts a survey of people who go fishing, hunting or wildlife watching in the United States? Well, every five years since 1991, in combination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they conduct this survey to see how often and how much money is spent.

The main site for all the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-associated recreation contains the survey reports back to 1991 for the full US, selected reports are available back to 1996 discussing an individual state. Turns out that in 2006 2.2 million Colorado residents participated in one of these activities (see full report). I guess it helps that some days you can help but see the wildlife out your window.

A lot of this activity has taken place at various national parks? So feel free to check out the library guide on parks.

Debate on whether McCain is a natural-born citizen

For those of you who aren't addicted to politics you might not know that there is a debate going on in some areas on whether or not John McCain (assumed Republican nominee for President) is a natural born citizen of the United States. The Senate stepped into the fray yesterday passing a non-binding resolution "Recognizing that John Sidney McCain, III, is a natural born citizen" (S.Res.511).

This debate has come about due to the phrase "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States" (clause 2 of Section 1 of the Constitution). Since McCain was born on a base in Panama there is some debate on whether he meets this qualification.

Want to read a discussion of this issue? Check out the Washington Post's "McCain's Birth Abroad Stirs Legal Debate: His Eligibility for Presidency Is Questioned."