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Tuesday
February 24, 2009

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ticker timeline 23:58 Eastern Time, Tuesday
February 24, 2009

Contact: Katie Grant

Stephanie Lundberg

202-225-3130

February 24, 2009

Majority Leader Hoyer Responds to President
Obama's Address

WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader
Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement tonight
following President Obama's address to a Joint Session of Congress
and the nation:

“Tonight, President Obama inspired our nation to confront
our economic crisis and turn adversity into opportunity. He articulated
our challenges clearly, without sugarcoating, but also conveyed
a vision for a brighter future.

“Having passed recovery legislation to create or save more
than 3 million American jobs, Congress will follow through on
the rest of the President’s economic agenda that he outlined
tonight. I am also pleased that he emphasized how important it
is that our nation return to budgetary sanity. Congress looks
forward to an honest, gimmick-free budget.

“President Obama also made clear that to ensure long-term
economic growth we must invest in our nation’s future. Reforming
health care, pursuing energy independence, and modernizing education
are not easy goals, but are essential to securing our nation’s
economy for generations to come.

“The President also spoke of our need to make a real commitment
to the stability of Afghanistan, leave Iraq to its people, and
to once more be a constructive player in the Middle East peace
process. I expect that the Administration's spirit of responsibility
and pragmatism will also extend to foreign policy.

“The challenges confronting our nation are great, but I
am confident in President Obama’s leadership and that better
days lie before us. The vision he laid out tonight will restore
the strength, security, and prosperity of America, and I look
forward to working with him in the days and months ahead.”

###

Getting Our Fiscal House in Order

President Obama’s Honest, Responsible Budget Will

Set Nation on Path to Sustainable Fiscal Future

When President Obama took office just over
a month ago, he inherited President Bush’s record deficits,
debt and an economy in shambles. According to a recent Washington
Post-ABC News poll, 59 percent of Americans are "very concerned”
about the outrageous budget deficit accumulated over recent years.
To address the concerns of all Americans and begin the long process
of repairing the damage done, Congressional Democrats are working
with President Obama to ensure that we continue to make the tough
choices necessary to handle the challenges facing our nation
and put us back on a fiscally sustainable path.

Read
more on how Democrats plan to make the tough decisions necessary
to set our country on a path to a sustainable fiscal future.

###

'The
Rachel Maddow Show' Transcript for Monday, February 23

MSNBC - USA

Also, Karl Rove was supposed to give a deposition on Capitol
Hill today but he didn‘t show - again. That and more—tonight.
But first—after a month of ...

Iraqi
Freedom Minute

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:02:16 -0600

Focusing on the latest news from Operation Iraqi Freedom. American
Forces Network Iraq presents Iraqi Freedom Minute.

Bush
DOJ Rule Revokes Immigrants’ Right to Counsel

The Washington Independent - Washington,DC,USA

A 2007 investigation by Business Week found that “thousands
of immigrants fall victim to crooked or incompetent lawyers or
to people posing as lawyers. ...

Where
can I exchange damaged U.S. paper currency?

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:31:29 -0600

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing exchanges damaged U.S. paper
currency if clearly more than one-half of the original note remains.
If your currency notes are merely dirty, torn, or worn out, they
can be exchanged through your local bank. For more information,
visit the link at USA.gov.

adsense

Today's top Air Force stories

Exercise offers A-10 crews chance to hone
warfighting skills

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123136930

European Union delegation visits Manas

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123136855

Airmen escort presidential papers into
history

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123136862

Predator passes 500,000 flight hours

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123136869

More troops, families to qualify for New
GI Bill benefits

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123136883

Special
prosecutor for Bush, Cheney, et alia

Center for Research on Globalization - Montreal,Quebec,Canada

... commence a prosecutorial investigation into the most serious
alleged crimes of former President George W. Bush, former Vice
President Richard B. Cheney, ...

Today
in the Department of Defense, 2/25/2009

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:20:00 -0600

DoD
Identifies Army Casualties

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:39:00 -0600

Contact: Katie Grant

Stephanie Lundberg

202-225-3130

February 24, 2009

Majority Leader Hoyer Announces Staff
Changes

WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader
Steny H. Hoyer (MD) announced today that he has promoted Deputy
Floor Director Alexis Covey-Brandt to Floor Director. Covey-Brandt
will replace Alejandro Perez, who recently joined the legislative
affairs team at the White House. In addition, Hoyer also announced
the hiring of John Hughes for the position of Senior Policy Advisor,
Amy Schultz for the position of Senior Legislative Assistant,
and the promotion of Troy G. Clair to Deputy Director of External
Relations.

In announcing the promotion of Covey-Brandt,
Hoyer said: “Throughout her six years in my office, Alexis
has continually demonstrated her competence and capabilities
across a range of responsibilities. Alexis is a tireless worker,
and has earned this well-deserved promotion. She knows our Caucus
very well, and will be a terrific asset for this office and our
Members as Floor Director.”

Covey-Brandt joined Leader Hoyer’s staff in January 2003,
when he began his first term as Democratic Whip. She is a graduate
of Haverford College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in
anthropology in African studies. She also studied at the University
of Ghana-Accra.

Leader Hoyer also praised the addition of two new staff and promotion
of another current staff member: “I am pleased to welcome
two new talented professionals to the Majority Leader’s
office, John Hughes and Amy Schultz, as well as announce the
promotion of Troy Clair, who has been a great asset over the
last two years. These individuals bring valued experience and
knowledge to their new positions, and I look forward to their
contributions to this office and the Democratic Caucus.”

Joining Leader Hoyer’s office as a Senior Policy Advisor
is John Hughes, focusing on financial services and trade matters.
Hughes most recently served as Counsel to the House Financial
Services Committee. Leader Hoyer also announced that Amy Schultz
will be the new Senior Legislative Assistant. Schultz most recently
served as a legislative assistant to Rep. David Scott, focusing
on education, labor and other social policy issues. Leader Hoyer
also promoted Troy G. Clair to Deputy Director of External Relations
where he will assist with national outreach efforts. Clair served
as Leader Hoyer’s Special Assistant for the past two years.

###

FBI In the News.

This information has recently been updated,
and is now
available.

Special
Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell Travel

Robert Wood

Acting Department Spokesman

Washington, DC

February 24, 2009

Remarks
With Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

February 24, 2009

ticker timeline 23:29 Eastern Time Tuesday
Feb 24, 2009

CNN
Cable live feed

CNN
Political Wire

Yesterday's news ticker (02/23/2009) is archived
here

ticker timeline 02:37 Eastern Time Tuesday
February 24, 2009

Briefing
by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 2/23/2009

Help
is on the way

The President announced that $15 billion in relief funds for
states will be available as soon as this Wednesday, and he has
named Earl Devaney, former inspector general of the Interior
Department, to oversee spending of funds from the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act.

Owning
up to what we owe

The President today promised that by the end of his first term,
he will cut in half the massive federal deficit we've inherited.
And we'll do it in a new way: honestly and candidly.

Recovery
in Action: Minnesota and Oregon

The first dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act are going out in just two days -- Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009
-- in the form of federal support for state medicaid payments.
But the impact is already being felt well beyond that.

Refugees
'hanging on by a thread,' Clooney says

from CNN.com

On Monday night, CNN's Larry King had an exclusive interview
with actor George Clooney, who returned from the strife-torn
Darfur region of Sudan and just finished meeting with Vice President
Joe Biden.

40
More Years

Jame Carville spoke to Greg Sargent about
his forthcoming book, 40 More Years: How Democrats Will Rule
the Next Generation.

Carville, an adviser to former Sen. Hillary
Clinton, says the book "will discuss some of the Hillary
campaign's failings, as well as the private reactions of senior
Hillary people to the campaign's darker moments."

However, the bulk of the book, which was
co-written with democratic operative Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza,
"will be about how decades-long electoral trends, including
the rise of the youth vote and the decline of the white vote,
favors Dems."

Obama
Picks Locke for Commerce

President Obama has chosen former Washington Gov. Gary Locke
(D) as his nominee to be Commerce secretary.

Polls
Show Broad Support for Obama

New York Times/CBS News poll: "President Obama is benefiting
from remarkably high levels of optimism and confidence among
Americans about his leadership, providing him with substantial
political clout as he confronts the nation's economic challenges
and opposition from nearly all Republicans in Congress."

Washington Post/ABC News poll: "Barack
Obama's month-old presidency is off to a strong start, marked
by the largest lead over the opposition party in trust to handle
the economy for a president in polls dating back nearly 20 years."

Attorney
General Holder touring Guantanamo prison facility

Posted: 12:35 PM ET

From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden

Attorney General Eric Holder is visiting the U.S. detention facility
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Attorney General Eric Holder and top
aides are touring the U.S. military prison facilities at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba to help advance the administration's plans to empty
the facility of detainees within one year.

Seize
opportunity for peace in Darfur, Clooney urges Obama

Posted: 01:53 AM ET

(CNN) — One week in Darfur, the next week at the White House.
That’s the role of a peace activist — one that actor
George Clooney embraces.

His battle to bring peace to Darfur brought
him to the White House on Monday, where he met with President
Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

The actor appeared on CNN’s “Larry
King Live” later on Monday to discuss his activism.

“I actually met with the president
in the Oval Office for about 15 minutes,” Clooney told King,
adding that they’d worked together on Darfur three years
ago, holding a news conference on the issue when Obama was a
U.S. senator. The actor met separately with Biden on Monday.

Japanese
PM, Obama will meet

Posted: 02:06 AM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — It’s a long trip for a short meeting
as Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is scheduled to meet President
Barack Obama on Tuesday morning in an hour-long summit at the
White House.

The visit, announced last week, gives Aso
the distinction of being the first head of state to be hosted
by the Obama administration and comes hours ahead of the president’s
first address to a joint session of Congress.

“It clearly shows President Obama
gives the Japan-U.S. relationship high priority,” Takeo
Kawamura, Japan’s Cabinet secretary, said ahead of the 6,800-mile
trip.

The White House says the leaders will “discuss
the close and long-standing alliance between the United States
and Japan” and will emphasize “the importance of consultation
between leaders of the world’s largest economies in the
run-up to the London Economic Summit” in April.

Another topic likely to be on the agenda
is Japan’s Asian neighbor North Korea, which U.S. intelligence
says is preparing to test a long-range missile.

Pyongyang has denied the charge, instead
saying it is making preparations to launch a satellite.

A test-fire by North Korea in 2006 failed
40 seconds after launch. The missile is thought to have an intended
range of about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers), which — if
true — could give it the capability of striking Alaska or
Hawaii.

Aso’s visit to Washington comes at
a tenuous time for his government. His approval rating is a meager
11 percent — the second lowest ever recorded for a Japanese
prime minister. Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister, resigned
after his rate bottomed out at 9 percent.

– CNN’s Chie Kobayashi contributed
to this report.

Turkmenistan
Now Less Isolated, But Still Repressive

from Rferl.org

It is two years since Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov was elected
president of Turkmenistan to succeed Saparmurat Niyazov (aka
Turkmenbashi), who died suddenly in December 2006. In order to
get a better understanding of whether and how the situation in
Turkmenistan has changed in terms of political and civic freedoms,
the media, and changes within the government, a comparison is
called for between Berdymukhammedov's first and second years
in power.

Spies
vs. Accountants

from Rferl.org

As Russia's economy sags from falling oil revenues, potentially
debilitating schisms continue to open up among the elite. The
latest battle pits the technocrats at the Finance Ministry against
the powerful "siloviki" who dominate Vladimir Putin's
inner circle.

Iranian
Nobel Laureate Says Official Lashings Are Torture

from Rferl.org

Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi says that lashings -- a
standard form of punishment in Iran -- is tantamount to torture
and a violation of human rights.

Revolutionary
Method Generates New Template for Microelectronics

from NSF News

Researchers say a newly tested method for
producing super dense, defect-free, thin polymer films is the
fastest, most efficient method ever achieved and it may dramatically
improve microelectronic storage capabilities such as those in
computer memory sticks.

In the February 20 issue of the journal
Science, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
and their colleagues at the University of California Berkeley,
report how they designed a new way to guide the ...

Prospects
For Stability In Pakistan Still Uncertain

from Rferl.org

A week after agreeing to a peace deal with a conservative Islamist
movement in the restive Swat Valley and the surrounding Malakand
region, the provincial government in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier
Province has announced plans to arm villagers and set up an elite
counterterrorism police unit.

Treasures
Preserved with Grants from the IMLS American Heritage Preservation
Program

from Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces
53 recipients of the new American Heritage Preservation Program.
The program, created in a partnership between IMLS and the Bank
of America Charitable Foundation, awards museums, libraries,
and archives individual grants of up to $3,000 to preserve treasures
that convey the essential character and experience of the United
States.

EEOC
to Hold Feb. 25 Meeting on Genetic Bias

from U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will
hold a public meeting on the subject of genetic discrimination
at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the agency's
new headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. In accordance
with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation
of the Commission's deliberations.

VIDEO:
Interview with Governors

from C-SPAN Recent Video

As the NGA concludes its three-day conference, the Washington
Journal sits down with a few attendees to discuss the latest
political news in their state.

Length: 1 hr.

Published: Monday at 7am (ET)

VIDEO:
State Department Press Briefing

from C-SPAN Recent Video

Acting Spokesman Robert Wood conducts a daily briefing at the
State Department.

Length: 17 min.

Published: Monday at 11:30am (ET)

UN:
2009 WILL BE 'CRITICAL YEAR' FOR PEACEKEEPING, WITH CAPACITY
OVERSTRETCHED MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, SPECIAL COMMITTEE TOLD,
AS THREE-WEEK SESSION OPENS

from United Nations Press Releases and
Meetings Coverage

The
first foreign trip

from White House.gov Blog Feed

We put together a short video with some highlights from the President's
first foreign trip. On the one-day trip to Ottawa last week,
he met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and laid the
groundwork for new cooperation on the economy and climate change.

Take a look.

GAO-09-263SP,
Securing, Stabilizing, and Developing Pakistan's Border Area
with Afghanistan: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight, February 23, 2009

from GAO Reports

Overview:
Treasury Managed Accounts: Programs and Systems: Financial Management
Service

from FMS Programs and Services

Updated 2/23/2009: There are 92 Treasury Managed Accounts. These
accounts are specific in purpose and consist of deposit funds,
receipt accounts, and appropriated accounts.

Unclaimed
Moneys Account Balance by Agency: Treasury Managed Accounts:
Programs and Systems: Financial Management Service

from FMS Programs and Services

Updated 2/23/2009: The Unclaimed Moneys Account (20X6133) is
one of 92 Treasury Managed Accounts. The account balances listed
below have been identified by agency. The balances are to be
reviewed and confirmed to Treasury on a quarterly basis.

Statistics
: IPAC: Programs and Systems: Financial Management Service

from FMS Programs and Services

Updated 2/23/2009: Reports & Statistics. Transaction Count.
Date. Payment. Collection. Adjustment. Zero Dollar. Total. November
2008. 16,828. 51,097. 2,699. 4. 70,628. December 2008. 20,308.
55,524. 2,070. 77,903. January 2009. 18,462. 57,195. 2,906. 78,564.
Totals. 55,598. 163,816. 7,675. 6. Total Funds Moved by Transaction
Type.

VIDEO:
House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) Press Conference on Congressional
Delegation to Afghanistan and Italy

from C-SPAN Recent Video

House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) recently led a Congressional
Delegation to Italy and Afghanistan. She was joined by some of
her Democratic colleagues to discuss the trip with reporters.

Length: 36 min.

Published: Monday at 12pm (ET)

Secretary
Clinton: “We have to remain vigilant on behalf of women’s
rights”

from White House.gov Blog Feed

Over at the State
Department’s notes blog, Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Christopher R. Hill wraps up
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s trip to Asia discussing
a town
hall at Ewha University in Seoul. He describes the scene
last week: "Thousands of students showed up -- despite the
fact that they're on winter break -- to ask the Secretary everything
from what her priorities were as Secretary of State to how she's
managed to balance the demands of career and family."

Fiscal
responsibility summit on tap as federal spending soars

from CNN Political Ticker by CNN Associate
Producer Martina Stewart

The President spoke Monday as the White House convened a bipartisan
summit about the federal government's long term fiscal outlook.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Barack Obama is reaching across
party lines Monday to host a bipartisan "fiscal responsibility
summit" as the government tackles the seemingly contradictory
tasks of controlling a soaring federal deficit while spending
the [...]

VIDEO:
Pres. Obama & V.P. Biden Address to Fiscal Responsibility
Summit

from C-SPAN Recent Video

President Obama and Vice President Biden made remarks to the
Fiscal Responsibility Summit in the East Room of the White House.
Later, Pres. Obama also gave a summary of the day's progress
at the end of the summit.

Length: 1 hr. 10 min.

Published: Monday at 1pm (ET)

UN
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SEEKS INTEGRATED APPROACH
TO MULTIPLE GLOBAL CRISES, IN PREPARATORY SESSION, 23-27 FEBRUARY

from United Nations Press Releases and
Meetings Coverage

UN
COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TO FOCUS ON SHARING DUTIES BETWEEN
MEN, WOMEN, INCLUDING CAREGIVING FOR HIV/AIDS VICTIMS, DURING
2 TO 13 MARCH SESSION

from United Nations Press Releases and
Meetings Coverage

USS
Scranton Deploys in Newest Uniform

from U.S. Navy News Headline Stories

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756)
departed Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 3, Feb. 20, as part of
the Eisenhower Strike Group, with the entire crew wearing the
newly released Navy working uniform.

Farm
Income Data

from USDA Economic Research Service - What's
New

Estimates of farm sector income with component accounts: for
the United States, 1910-2009; and for States, 1949-2007.

Eurasian
Energy Security, Enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
and Strategic Relations between the U.S., the European Union,
and Russia

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Europe and Eurasia Regional Policy Overview has been updated
with a Jamestown Foundation article on Islam in the North Ossetia
region, the 2008 report from the International Narcotics Control
Board, a Council on Foreign Relations report on Eurasian energy
security, Congressional Research Service reports on the enlargement
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and on security issues
relating to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, a report from the
Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on strategic
relations between the U.S., the European Union, and Russia, and
a Netherlands Institute of International Relations report on
defense theory on the European Union. Please see the Recently
Added Documents section for the latest on this region - the newest
updates are in bold.

Secretary
of State Clinton's Trip to Asia

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The East Asia and the Pacific Regional Policy Overview has been
updated with remarks by Secretary of State Clinton with the South
Korean Foreign Minister, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, the
Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
and the Japanese Foreign Minister, a Heritage Foundation article
on political instability and democracy in Thailand, Congressional
Research Service reports on U.S. relations with Vietnam in 2009
and on U.S. relations with the Republic of the Philippines, and
a Foreign Policy Research Institute article on U.S. security
policy in Asia. Please see the Recently Added Documents section
for the latest on this region - the newest updates are in bold.

West
Africa's Emergence as a Major Hub for Cocaine Smuggling

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Africa Regional Policy Overview has been updated with the
2008 report from the International Narcotics Control Board identifying
West Africa's emergence as a major hub for cocaine smuggling,
a State Department statement on the signing of an Agreement of
Goodwill and Confidence-Building for the Settlement of the Problem
in Darfur, a Congressional hearing on U.S. relations with Sudan,
a RAND Corporation report on the oversight on Liberia's national
police, a Congressional Research Service report on U.S. relations
with South Africa, and an Overseas Development Institute report
on poverty and poverty-reduction issues in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Please see the Recently Added Documents section for the latest
on this region - the newest updates are in bold.

Latest
International Atomic Energy Agency Report on Iran, Iran's Ballistic
Missile Program, and Chronology of Iran's Space Activities

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Iran MiPAL has been updated with the latest report on Iran
from the International Atomic Energy Agency, along with reaction
from the State Department on the report and an Institute for
Science and International Security evaluation of the report,
a Survival article on the threats inherent in Iran's political
and regional behavior, a Foreign Policy in Focus article on U.S.-Iranian
relations, a Congressional Research Service report on Iran's
ballistic missile programs, and a chronology of Iran's activities
in space from the Center for Defense Information. Please see
the Recently Added Documents section for the latest on this country
- the newest updates are in bold.

National
Infrastructure Protection Plan, Cyber Security, and Chemical
Security 101

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Homeland Security MiPAL has been updated with the Department
of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Protection Plan,
Homeland Security Policy Institute articles on the role of non-profits
in disaster relief operations and on the organizational placement
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Congressional Research
Service reports on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
disaster declaration process and on homeland security intelligence,
an Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection report
on research and development challenges relating to national cyber
security, and a Center for American Progress report on chemical
security. Please see the Recently Added Documents section for
the latest on this topic - the newest updates are in bold.

U.S.
Policy Initiatives with China

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The China MiPAL has been updated with remarks by Secretary of
State Clinton on U.S.-China cooperation on clean energy and on
efforts to deepen U.S. relations with China, a transcript of
a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event on the Internet
in China, a Congressional Research Service report on China's
reaction to the global financial crisis, and a Foreign Policy
Research Institute article on President Obama's China policy.
Please see the Recently Added Documents section for the latest
on this country - the newest updates are in bold.

New
Directions for U.S. Policy in the Caspian Region

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Central Asia MiPAL has been updated with a report from the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace outlining new directions
for U.S. policy in the Caspian region, an EUCAM: EU-Central Asia
Monitoring report on the energy sector challenges and the energy
shortage in Kyrgyzstan, a Century Foundation report on the challenges
to the U.S. democracy promotion agenda in Central Asia, and a
Congressional Research Service report on regional developments
in Central Asia and the implications for U.S. interests. Please
see the Recently Added Documents section for the latest on this
region - the newest updates are in bold.

U.S.
Goals for Afghanistan and More on the Troop Increase

from MERLN - Military Education Research
Library Network

The Afghanistan MiPAL has been updated with the 2008 report from
the International Narcotics Control Board, an interview with
Special Envoy Holbrooke on the results of his first trip to the
region and efforts to outline U.S. goals for Afghanistan, remarks
by the Secretary of Defense on the need to increase troop levels
in Afghanistan and on international cooperation in Afghanistan,
a Department of Defense briefing with the Commander of U.S. Forces
Afghanistan and NATO's International Security Assistance Force
on President Obama's decision to increase troops in Afghanistan,
a Homeland Security Policy Institute article articulating the
need to politically engage with Taliban leaders, a Center for
Strategic and International Studies report on policy options
for the future of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, and a Congressional
Research Service report on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's
involvement in Afghanistan. Please see the Recently Added Documents
section for the latest on this country - the newest updates are
in bold.

Canadian
Minister of Finance Launches National Consultations on Private
Pensions

from Canada News Centre - General public

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced
the Government will begin scheduled public consultations across
Canada on the legislative and regulatory framework for federally
regulated private pension plans.

Current
Open Administrative Vacancies in the U.S. Marshals Service as
of February 23, 2009

from Career Opportunities in the U.S. Marshals
Service

Systems Accountant

GS-0510-12/13 Closing Date: 3/11/2009

Financial Services Division - Arlington, VA

OPM Midwest Services Branch (816) 426-5706

Supervisory Accountant (General Ledger)

GS-0510-14 Closing Date: 3/6/2009

Financial Services Division - Arlington, VA

OPM Midwest Services Branch (816) 426-5706

Criminal Program Specialist

GS-0301-9 Closing Date: 3/2/2009

District of Columbia/District Court - Washington, DC

Grace Adams-Johnson (202) 307-5241

Criminal Program Specialist

GS-0301-9 Closing Date: 3/2/2009

District of Columbia/ District Court - Washington, DC

Grace Adams-Johnson (202) 307-5241

Information Technology Specialist (Operating
Systems)

GS-2210-13 Closing Date: 3/1/2009

Information Technology Division - Arlington, VA

Tina L. Payne (202) 307-8678

Investigative Research Specialist

GS-0301-09 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Northern District of California - San Francisco, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Investigative Research Specialist

GS-0301-09 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Northern District of California - San Francisco, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Budget Analyst

GS-0560-9 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Central District of California - Los Angeles, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Budget Analyst

GS-0560-9 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Central District of California - Los Angeles, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Purchasing Agent

GS-1105-9 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Northern District of California - San Francisco, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Purchasing Agent

GS-1105-9 Closing Date: 2/28/2009

Northern District of California - San Francisco, CA

Jacqueline Twiner (202) 307-5258

Administrative Support Assistant (OA)

GS-0303-7 Closing Date: 2/27/2009

District of South Carolina - Columbia, SC

Beverly Meder (202) 307-5207

Supervisory Accountant

GS-0510-14 Closing Date: 2/27/2009

Financial Services Division - Arlington, VA

OPM Midwest Services Branch (816) 426-5706

Program Analyst

GS-0343-11/12 Closing Date: 2/24/2009

District of South Carolina - Columbia, SC

OPM Midwest Services Branch (816) 426-5706

H.R.
786, A bill to make permanent the temporary increase in deposit
insurance coverage, and for other purposes cost estimate

from CBO's Latest 10 Documents

Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee
on Financial Services on February 4, 2009

H.R.
977, Derivatives Markets Transparency and Accountability Act
of 2009 cost estimate

from CBO's Latest 10 Documents

Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee
on Agriculture on February 12, 2009

VIDEO:
Iraq museum reopens

from CNN.com - Video

Iraq's National Museum reopens after it was pillaged following
the fall of Saddam Hussein. CNN's Arwa Damon reports.

Secretary
Salazar Highlights Role of Interior Department In Developing
Renewable Energy and 21st Century Transmission Grid

from DOI News Releases

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar participated in an historic
roundtable of many of the nation’s top leaders today at
a summit examining how development of renewable energy in conjunction
with a “National Clean Energy Smart Grid” is an economic,
environmental and national security imperative.

VIDEO:
White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

from C-SPAN Recent Video

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the
White House.

Length: 43 min.

Published: Monday at 2pm (ET)

VIDEO:
Defense Dept. Briefing on Guantanamo Bay

from C-SPAN Recent Video

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Vice Admiral Patrick Walsh briefed
the news media concerning his Common Article 3 compliance findings
at detention facilities at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba.

Length: 32 min.

Published: Monday at 2:30pm (ET)

Ireland:
Language Requirements for Barristers Changed