usdemocrats.com * March 19, 2009 keynote news, current events, political news ticker, democratic daily weblog

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March 19, 2009

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Fed
to buy long-term U.S. government debt

from Reuters: Top News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday vowed
to pump an additional $1 trillion into the U.S. economy in an
aggressive bid to battle a deep recession, partly by buying government
bonds for the first time since the 1960s.

Fed
to Pump $1.2 Trillion Into Financial System

from washingtonpost.com - Today's Highlights
by Neil Irwin

Decision to buy government bonds and mortgage-related securities
is designed to lower borrowing costs for loans, thereby stimulating
activity.

3rd
Commerce Nominee Breezes Through Senate Hearing

from washingtonpost.com - Federal Page
by Ed O'Keefe

Whew! Clearing up any concerns that President Obama might have
to seek a fourth nominee for the job, former Washington governor
Gary Locke (D) sailed through his confirmation hearing on his
nomination as commerce secretary yesterday, with nary a sign
of tax or legal problems nor a shred of doubt...

Egypt's
Al-Azhar To Build Islamic Institute In Afghanistan

from Rferl.org

Egypt's Al–Azhar University, one of the world's most-important
centers of Sunni Islamic learning, has announced that it will
build an Islamic institute in Kabul.

The
U.S.-Russia Reset Picks Up Speed

from Rferl.org

Did "Kommersant" just score another scoop about U.S.
President Barack Obama's Russia policy? The Moscow-based daily
reported today that Obama is planning to visit Russia in July.
The visit will most likely come ahead of the G8 Summit, scheduled
for July 8-10 in Italy, the newspaper reported, citing unidentified
sources. Obama is expected to meet with Medvedev for the first
time at the G20 summit in London on April 1.

Obama
Considering Expanding Afghan Security Force

from Rferl.org

U.S. President Barack Obama is considering a plan that would
double the size of Afghanistan's security force to about 400,000
troops and police officer to stabilize the nation, "The
New York Times" has reported.

Sudan
ready to talk to U.S. envoy, wants normalcy

from Reuters: International News

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sudan's U.N. ambassador said on Wednesday
that Khartoum was ready for constructive talks with a new U.S.
special envoy, adding that he hoped Washington was prepared to
reciprocate.

Peace
Corps Suspends Program in Madagascar; All Volunteers Evacuated
Safely

CANADA:
$800M FOR HOUSING, EDUCATION, SAFETY CREATES 4,800 JOBS

from Office of the Premier NEWS

VANCOUVER – Premier Gordon Campbell launched close to $800
million in public infrastructure projects for housing, education
and public safety across B.C.

OPM
Acting Director Whipple Announces Appointment of Elaine Kaplan
as General Counsel

from Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
News Releases by Michael Orenstein

OPM
Authorizes Excepted-Service Appointments to Support Recovery
Act

from Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
News Releases by Edmund D. Byrnes

OCC
Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief National Bank Examiner Testifies
on Risk Management

from OCC News Releases by Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency

Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy and Chief
National Bank Examiner Timothy W. Long testified today about
risk management before the Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance,
and Investment of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs.

Statement
Regarding Purchases of Treasury Securities

from NY Fed | News

New
York Fed accepts $18.20 billion through Term Securities Lending
Facility

Webcast:
Education in the 21st Century

from Library of Congress: New Webcasts

A Library of Congress forum on K-12 education, titled "American
Education in the Digital Age and Beyond: A Discussion for the
21st Century," was hosted by Strong American Schools and
supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The
High-Speed Rail Authority

from Legislative Analyst's Office

Presented to: Senate Transportation and Housing Committee

California's
Cash and Debt Situation: Its Effect on Resources Projects

from Legislative Analyst's Office

Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources

Higher
Education Overview Of the Budget Act of 2009-10

from Legislative Analyst's Office

Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2

Federal
Stimulus Funding For K-12 Education

from Legislative Analyst's Office

Presented at a Joint Hearing of the Assembly Education Committee
and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

Interior
and FERC Announce Agreement on Offshore Renewable Energy Development

from DOI News Releases

WASHINGTON, DC - In a joint statement issued today Secretary
of the Interior (DOI), Ken Salazar and Acting Chairman of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Jon Wellinghoff announced
that the two agencies have confirmed their intent to work together
to facilitate the permitting of renewable energy in offshore
waters.

Secretary
Salazar Announces Bid Totals for Tomorrow's MMS Central Gulf
of Mexico Lease Sale

from DOI News Releases

NEW ORLEANS - The offshore energy industry is showing continued
interest in the Gulf of Mexico's Outer Continental Shelf, with
56 companies submitting 476 bids on 348 tracts that are being
offered offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in tomorrow’s
Minerals Management Service Lease Sale 208.

Secretary
Salazar to Host Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale in New
Orleans,Tour Offshore Platform Hold Community Forum on Land Water
Conservation Fund

from DOI News Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, March 18, 2009, Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar will officially open an offshore oil and
gas lease sale in New Orleans, Louisiana, visit an offshore oil
production rig, make an aerial tour of state coastal restoration
efforts and hold a community forum in New Orleans City Park.

House
backs bill to increase service opportunities

from AP Top Political News At 5:39 a.m.
EST by By ANN SANNER

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tens of thousands of Americans could see more
opportunities to mentor children, help rebuild homes and participate
in other national service under a measure passed by the House
on Wednesday....

House
sets up vote on taxing AIG bonuses

from AP Top Political News At 5:39 a.m.
EST by By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Venting their outrage, lawmakers are preparing
to slap heavy taxes on employee bonuses at insurance giant AIG
and at other companies that have received large bailout packages
from the government....

UN
urged to 'find truth' about Gaza conflict

from Amnesty International USA: Most Recent
English News Releases

A group of 16 of the world's leading war crimes investigators
and judges - backed by Amnesty International - has urged the
United Nations to launch a full inquiry into the Gaza conflict.

Progress
Made in Southcom Region, Challenges Remain, Admiral Says

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

The top U.S. military officer for Latin America and the Caribbean
reported positive developments in the region over the past year.

U.S.
Africom Promotes Stability, Security on Continent

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

The nascent U.S. Africa Command is promoting stability and security
on the continent through military-to-military activities and
a host of other programs, the Africom commander said.

International
Women's Day Event Empowers Iraqi Women

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

A large crowd of Iraqi girls and women, ranging from teenagers
to grandmothers, gathered at a youth center in Diwaniya, Iraq,
for a graduation ceremony and to mark International Women's Day.

Progress
Made in Southcom Region, Challenges Remain, Admiral Says

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

The top U.S. military officer for Latin America and the Caribbean
reported positive developments in the region over the past year.

Tankers
Top Shopping List, Transportation Commander Says

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

Acquiring a new fleet of Air Force tankers is imperative, the
commander of U.S. Transportation Command told the Senate Armed
Services Committee.

On
the Ground: Iraqis Take Lead in Operations, Humanitarian Missions

from American Forces Information Services
- News Articles

Aided by U.S. forces, Iraqis are making vast strides toward sovereignty
as they assume responsibility for everything from public works
operations to joint security stations.

Exclusive
Interview with El Salvador's New President on Ending 130 Years
of Oligarchy and Military Rule

from AlterNet.org by Roberto Lovato, Josue
Rojas, New America Media

Mauricio Funes, the first leftist elected president El Salvador,
discusses his hope for strong ties with the U.S. and key issues
his country faces.

GAO-09-506T,
Oil and Gas Leasing: Federal Oil and Gas Resource Management
and Revenue Collection in Need of Comprehensive Reassessment,
March 17, 2009

from GAO Reports

In fiscal 2008, the Department of the Interior (Interior) collected
over $22 billion in royalties and other fees related to oil and
gas. Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Minerals
Management Service (MMS) manage federal onshore and offshore
oil and gas leases, respectively. Acquiring a federal lease gives
the lessee the rights to explore for and develop the oil and
gas resources under the lease, including drilling wells and ...

GAO-09-480T,
International Trade: Effective Export Programs Can Help In Achieving
U.S. Economic Goals, March 17, 2009

from GAO Reports

This testimony lays out some observations regarding export promotion
challenges from a range of work that GAO has conducted for Congress
over recent years, and is based on a variety of reports and testimonies
we have issued on a range of international trade issues over
the past 4 years. We conducted this work in accordance with generally
accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audit to ...

GAO-09-478T,
Tax Compliance: Offshore Financial Activity Creates Enforcement
Issues for IRS, March 17, 2009

from GAO Reports

Much offshore financial activity by individual U.S. taxpayers
is not illegal, but numerous schemes have been devised to hide
the true ownership of funds held offshore and income moving between
the United States and offshore jurisdictions. In recent years,
GAO has reported on several aspects of offshore financial activity
and the tax compliance and tax administration challenges such
activity raises for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). ...

GAO-09-433T,
Emergency Management: Actions to Implement Select Provisions
of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, March 17,
2009

from GAO Reports

Hurricane Katrina severely tested disaster management at the
federal, state, and local levels and revealed weaknesses in the
basic elements--leadership, capabilities, and accountability--of
preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.
In its 2006 work on the response to Hurricane Katrina, GAO noted
that these elements needed to be strengthened. In October 2006,
Congress enacted the Post-Katrina Act to address issues identified
...

GAO-09-302,
Global War on Terrorism: DOD Needs to More Accurately Capture
and Report the Costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom, March 17, 2009

from GAO Reports

Since September 11, 2001, Congress has provided about $808 billion
to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the Global War on Terrorism
(GWOT) in addition to funding in DOD's base budget. Prior GAO
reports have found DOD's reported GWOT cost data unreliable and
found problems with transparency over certain costs. In response,
DOD has made several changes to its cost-reporting procedures.
Congress has shown interest in increasing the transparency ...

GAO-09-227,
Bank Secrecy Act: Federal Agencies Should Take Action to Further
Improve Coordination and Information-Sharing Efforts, February
12, 2009

from GAO Reports

The legislative framework for combating money laundering began
with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in 1970 and most recently expanded
in 2001with the USA PATRIOT Act. The Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network (FinCEN) administers BSA and relies on multiple federal
and state agencies to ensure financial institution compliance.
GAO was asked to (1) describe how BSA compliance and enforcement
responsibilities are distributed, (2) describe how agencies ...

GAO-09-203,
Information Security: Securities and Exchange Commission Needs
to Consistently Implement Effective Controls, March 16, 2009

from GAO Reports

In carrying out its mission to ensure that securities markets
are fair, orderly, and efficiently maintained, the Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) relies extensively on computerized
systems. Effective information security controls are essential
to ensure that SEC's financial and sensitive information is protected
from inadvertent or deliberate misuse, disclosure, or destruction.
As part of its audit of SEC's financial statements,

GAO-09-501T,
Defense Acquisitions: DOD Must Prioritize Its Weapon System Acquisitions
and Balance Them with Available Resources, March 18, 2009

GAO-09-490T,
Federal Financial Assistance: Preliminary Observations on Assistance
Provided to AIG, March 18, 2009from GAO Reports

GAO-09-479T,
Next Generation Air Transportation System: Status of Transformation
and Issues Associated with Midterm Implementation of Capabilities,
March 18, 2009

GAO-09-422T,
Aviation Security: Preliminary Observations on TSA's Progress
and Challenges in Meeting the Statutory Mandate for Screeining
Air Cargo on Passenger Aircraft, March 18, 2009

B-400613,B-400613.2,
Installation Management Company, December 31, 2008

from GAO Legal Products

Installation Management Company (IMC), of Ray, Ohio, protests
the Department of Defense Education Activity's (DODEA) award
of a contract to SKE Technischer Service GmbH (SKE), under request
for proposals (RFP) No. HE1280-08-R-0006, for the German Schools
Maintenance Program (GSMP). IMC asserts that the agency improperly
evaluated its past performance and technical proposal. We deny
the protest.

B-317098,
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General--Federal Emergency
Management Agency Subgrantee's Claim under the Stafford Act,
March 13, 2009

from GAO Legal Products

The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) has requested a decision regarding the reimbursement in
July 2000 of $3.8 million in Stafford Act grant funds provided
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the state
of Arizona for the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District
in Arizona. A public assistance award was made to the irrigation
and drainage district for emergency repairs and improvements
...

B-400787.2,B-400861,
Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., February 23, 2009

B-310940.3,
Encompass Group LLC, March 17, 2009

Cole,
Risk management in the banking industry

from FRB: Speeches and Testimony

Testimony before the Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and
Investment, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

Board
adopts final rule that delays until March 31, 2011, the effective
date of new limits on the inclusion of trust preferred securities
and other restricted core capital elements in tier 1 capital

Written
agreement with Societe Generale

Written
agreement with Omni Financial Services

Written
agreement with FNB Holding Company

FOMC
statement

Tax
Time Guide For 2009

from Forbes.com: News by Edited by Janet
Novack

How to save yourself money, and IRS grief, this year and in the
years ahead.

Bailout
Billionaires

from Forbes.com: Most popular stories by
Keren Blankfeld Schultz

Bailout dollars have different effects on the fortunes of the
richest people in the world.

The
Mortgage Investors Protection Act Of 2009

from Forbes.com: Business News by Maurna
Desmond and Daniel Fisher

Hiding in Obama's foreclosure bill are provisions to protect
big investors from bankruptcy cramdowns.

Forbes
China Celebrity List

from Forbes.com: Business News by Russell
Flannery

Athletes score big in Olympic year.

Back
Reports: Gold Report