KU Libraries Government Information Blog

Google's U.S. Government Search and Information Page

2006-11-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

For Election Day 2006 (Tuesday November 7) you might want to monitor Google's U.S. Government Search page for news updates from the media as well as the government.

http://www.google.com/ig/usgov

Hurricane Katrina Reports

2006-09-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Feburary 16, 2006 the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina released their report:

"A Failure of Initiative: The Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina"
http://katrina.house.gov/

On Thursday February 23, 2006 the White House issued its own report, "The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned"
http://www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/

This post originally appeard in the 'New and Interesting Resources' section of www.lib.ku.edu/govtinfo

Generation X and Civic Engagement

2006-09-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

CENSUS
2000 Ethnographic Study

Generation X Speaks out on Civic Engagement and the Decennial Census: An Ethnographic Approach

For more Census 2000 information, visit the U.S. Census Bureau

This post originally appeard in the 'New and Interesting Resources' section of www.lib.ku.edu/govtinfo

DOJ Whitepaper on NSA Intercepts

2006-09-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

LEGAL AUTHORITIES SUPPORTING
THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT

Department of Justice Whitepaper on National Security Agency Intercepts

This post originally appeard in the 'New and Interesting Resources' section of www.lib.ku.edu/govtinfo

New Reports on Iraq and WMD capacity

2006-09-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Report on Postwar Findings about Iraq's WMD Programs
http://intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiaccuracy.pdf

Report on Intelligence Community use of information from Iraq National Congress
http://intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiinc.pdf

On Friday September 8, 2006 the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released two reports related to Iraq and pre and post-war assessments of Iraq's cabablities for utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's). These reports have been declassified and made available for public viewing. There may be some redactions in reports where certain information is still too sensitive for public release.

Senate Committee on Intelligence Page: http://intelligence.senate.gov

Government Releases Detailed Information on 9/11 Crashes

2006-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/index.htm

The National Security Archive hosted by George Washington University in Washington, DC today (August 11, 2006) began providing access to full transcripts of flight recordings for the four airplane flights hijacked on 9/11/2001 as well as flight plans for three of the flights. This new information in addition to the September 11 Sourcebooks of additional declassified materials alread present at the Archive.

Diplomacy Monitor

2006-07-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dm.nsf/opener?OpenForm

The Diplomacy Monitor is created and provided by the St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami, FL). It provides access to information distributed by national governments, international- and non-governmental organizations (UN, World Trade Organization, etc.). System provides methods to search by topic, nation or region, and more.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) Mountain-Plains Summary (Blue Card) June 2006

2006-07-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.bls.gov/xg_shells/ro7xg01a.htm

Q: What is the CPI?
A: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

(Question and Answer from BLS Frequently Asked Questions -FAQ.)

International Labor Organization (ILO) Databases

2006-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

The ILO Bureau of Library and Information Services has this page providing access to 28 different databases of information, statistics, and more, as relates to the world of work. Some specific examples include:

-Child Labour Statistics
-Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety
-International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
-Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM)

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/dblist.htm

ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law

2006-07-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

An Open Access Resource on International Law, this site has a narrative, chapter-based approach to highlighting available internet resources on topics including:
-Human Rights
-International Criminal Law
-International Environmental Law
-Treaties
-United Nations
-and more

http://www.asil.org/resource/home.htm

National Science Foundation Research: Self Cooling Soda Bottles?

2006-07-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is one of the U.S. Federal Government's primary agencies for promoting scientific research. With a 2006 budget of $5.5 Billion, NSF is the funding agency for approximately 20% of all federally funded basic research going on in U.S. Colleges and Universities (NSF At a Glance page: http://www.nsf.gov/about/glance.jsp

This press release, issued July 11, 2006, discusses some current research in solar energy. Read the press release to see how it might one day apply to a self-cooling soda bottle!

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=107086

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government For Kids

2006-07-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government Created by the Government Printing Office as a K-12 educational tool - Ben's Guide provides concise and authoritative information on how the United States Federal Government works. 4 different K-12 education-level versions are available, as well as a section for Parents and Teachers on how to use the site.

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/

FEDSTATS Statistics & Data Gateway

2006-07-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the United States Government will spend approximately $5.3 Billion in statistics creation and public distribution this year?

FEDSTATS is a single entry point to many of the U.S. Federal statistical agencies and programs. Check it out.

Http://www.fedstats.gov

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns 40!

2006-07-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

On July 4, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Freedom of Information Act. Read more about the Act at the links below:

National Security Archive page on FOIA at 40, including a brief history and access to over 40 related documents (in PDF).

http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB194/index.htm

Hurricane Katrina: US Congress and White House Reports Released

2006-02-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

Reports are starting to come out from the United States Federal Government analyzing government responses to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Connect to them below:

http://katrina.house.gov/ - the US Congress Select Bipartisan Commission preliminary report released February 16, 2006

http://www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/ - The White House report released February 23, 2006

It is anticipated that paper and permanent electronic copies of these reports will become part of the official U.S. Government Information program and will be distributed to libraries via Federal Depository Library Program. To read more about the FDLP, and the Government Printing Office, go to: http://www.gpoaccess.gov