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Flood Insurance: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight of the WYO Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2004, private insurance companies participating in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Write-Your-Own (WYO) program have collected an average of $2.3 billion in premiums annually and, of this amount, have been paid or allowed to retain an average of $1 billion per year. Questions have been raised about FEMA's oversight of the program in light of the debts FEMA has incurred since the 2… more
Date: August 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Management: DOD Needs to Improve Program Management, Policy, and Testing to Enhance Ability to Field Operationally Useful Non-lethal Weapons

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Nonlethal weapons (NLW) provide an alternative when lethal force is undesirable. The Department of Defense (DOD) defines NLW as those that are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate personnel or materiel, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property and the environment. DOD created the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program in 1996 to have ce… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Office of Personnel Management: Retirement Modernization Planning and Management Shortcomings Need to Be Addressed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For the past two decades, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been working to modernize the paper-intensive processes and antiquated systems used to support the retirement of federal employees. By moving to an automated system, OPM intends to improve the program's efficiency and effectiveness. In January 2008, GAO recommended that the agency address risks to successful system deployment. Nevert… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Pensions: Sponsors of 10 Underfunded Plans Paid Executives Approximately $350 Million in Compensation Shortly Before Termination

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "When sponsors terminate underfunded plans during bankruptcy, it can deplete resources of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which protects the pensions of almost 44 million American workers and retirees who participate in over 29,000 defined benefit pension plans. In 2009, PBGC reported an estimated deficit of over $30 billion. GAO was asked to determine what pay and other compensation exe… more
Date: October 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Audit: Material Weaknesses in Internal Control Continue to Impact Preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the U.S. Government

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since GAO's first audit of the fiscal year 1997 consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), material weaknesses in internal control and other limitations on the scope of our work have prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual basis CFS. Certain of those material weaknesses relate to inadequate systems, controls, and procedures to properly prepare the CFS. The purpose of… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Transit Administration: Progress and Challenges in Implementing and Evaluating the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Established in 1998, the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program (JARC)-administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)--awards grants to states and localities to provide transportation to help low-income individuals access jobs. In 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) reauthorized the program and made changes, such as alloca… more
Date: May 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Government Assistance Provided to AIG

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's seventh report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) focuses on the initial assistance the government provided to American International Group, Inc. (AIG)--an organization with over 200 companies operating in over 130 countries and jurisdictions and $830 billion in assets--in September 2008 and the restructuring of that assistance in November 2008 and March 2009. The unfolding crisis threate… more
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has provided approximately $38.6 billion in reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and has over 35,000 troops in the country as of February 2009. Some progress has occurred in areas such as economic growth, infrastructure development, and training of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), but the overall security situation in Afghanistan has not improved after more than 7 years … more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endangered Species Act: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Has Incomplete Information about Effects on Listed Species from Section 7 Consultations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The western United States, including vast stretches of federal land, is home to more than a third of the 1,317 species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Under section 7 of the act, federal agencies must ensure that any actions they authorize, fund, or carry out, whether on federal or private lands, do not jeopardize listed species. To fulfill this responsibility, the agencies often must formally … more
Date: May 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Freight Rail Security: Actions Have Been Taken to Enhance Security, but the Federal Strategy Can Be Strengthened and Security Efforts Better Monitored

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "An attack on the U.S. freight rail system could be catastrophic because rail cars carrying highly toxic materials often traverse densely populated urban areas. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the federal entity primarily responsible for securing freight rail. GAO was asked to assess the status of efforts to secure this system. This report discu… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Commercial Aviation: Airline Industry Contraction Due to Volatile Fuel Prices and Falling Demand Affects Airports, Passengers, and Federal Government Revenues

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. passenger airline industry is vital to the U.S. economy. Airlines directly generate billions of dollars in revenues each year and catalyze economic growth. Interest in the airlines' ability to weather volatile fuel prices and the economic recession led to congressional requests for a GAO review. GAO examined how (1) the financial condition of the U.S. passenger airline industry has changed, the… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Project Bioshield: HHS Can Improve Agency Internal Controls for Its New Contracting Authorities

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (BioShield Act) increased the federal government's ability to procure needed countermeasures to address threats from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Under the BioShield Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was provided with new contracting authorities (increased simplified acquisition and micropurchase thresholds, and expanded a… more
Date: July 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Credit Cards: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Could Better Reflect the Evolving Debt Collection Marketplace and Use of Technology

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Approximately 6.6 percent of credit cards were 30 or more days past due in the first quarter of 2009--the highest rate in 18 years. To recover delinquent debt, credit card issuers may use their own collection departments, outside collection agencies, collection law firms, or sell the debt. GAO was asked to examine (1) the federal and state consumer protections and enforcement responsibilities related to… more
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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High-Containment Laboratories: National Strategy for Oversight Is Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. laboratories working with dangerous biological pathogens (commonly referred to as high-containment laboratories) have proliferated in recent years. As a result, the public is concerned about the oversight of these laboratories. The deliberate or accidental release of biological pathogens can have disastrous consequences. GAO was asked to determine (1) to what extent, and in what areas, the number o… more
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iraqi Refugee Assistance: Improvements Needed in Measuring Progress, Assessing Needs, Tracking Funds, and Developing an International Strategic Plan

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Iraqi refugees are one of the largest urban populations the UN has been called on to assist. The UN reports government estimates of up to 4.8 million Iraqis displaced within the last 5 years, with 2 million fleeing, primarily to Syria and Jordan. GAO examined challenges in (1) measuring and monitoring progress in achieving U.S. goals for assisting Iraqi refugees, (2) providing humanitarian assistance to… more
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Combating Nuclear Smuggling: DHS Improved Testing of Advanced Radiation Detection Portal Monitors, but Preliminary Results Show Limits of the New Technology

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is testing new advanced spectroscopic portal (ASP) radiation detection monitors. DNDO expects ASPs to reduce both the risk of missed threats and the rate of innocent alarms, which DNDO considers to be key limitations of radiation detection equipment currently used by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at U.S. ports of … more
Date: May 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Inner-shell electron spectroscopy and chemical properties of atoms and small molecules

Description: The program has been concerned with gas-phase carbon 1s photoelectron spectroscopy of a number of molecules of potential chemical interest. The primary goals have been to determine carbon 1s ionization energies with a view of relating these to other chemical properties such as electronegativity, acidity, basicity, and reactivity, in order to provide a better understanding of these fundamental properties. The role of electron-donating (methyl) and electron-withdrawing (fluoro) substituents on th… more
Date: January 21, 2009
Creator: Thomas, T. Darrah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Measuring Radiation Damage from Heavy Energetic Ions in Aluminum

Description: An intense beam of 122 MeV/u (9.3 GeV) 76Ge ions was stopped in aluminum samples at the Coupled Cyclotron Facility at NSCL, MSU. Attempts were made at ORNL to measure changes in material properties by measuring changes in electrical resistivity and microhardness, and by transmission electron microscopy characterization, for defect density caused by radiation damage, as a function of depth and integrated ion flux. These measurements are relevant for estimating damage to components at a rare isot… more
Date: February 21, 2009
Creator: Kostin, M., PI-MSU; Ronningen, R., PI-MSU; Ahle, L., PI-LLNL; Gabriel, T., Scientific Investigation and Development; Mansur, L., PI-ORNL; Leonard, K., ORNL et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: This report discusses congressional interest in expanding the use of nuclear power to a wider array of Navy surface ships, starting with the Navy’s planned CG(X) cruiser. The issue for Congress is whether the CG(X) or other future Navy surface ships should be nuclear-powered. Congress’s decisions on this issue could affect, among other things, future Navy capabilities, Navy funding requirements, and the shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the current political state of Iran, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Iran relationship and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Animal Identification: Overview and Issues

Description: Many countries that participate in international markets for livestock and natural products have in place some form of animal identification and traceability system. In the U.S., livestock industry groups, animal health officials, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been working together to establish a nationwide animal identification system capable of tracking animals from birth to slaughter. This report contains information on animal identification, pros and cons of an animal identifi… more
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dye Sensitized Tandem Photovoltaic Cells

Description: This work provided a new way to look at photoelectrochemical cells and their performance. Although thought of as low efficiency, a the internal efficiency of a 9% global efficiency dye sensitized solar cell is approximately equal to an 18% efficient silicon cell when each is compared to their useful spectral range. Other work undertaken with this contract also reported the first growth oriented titania and perovskite columns on a transparent conducting oxide. Other work has shown than significa… more
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: Barber, Greg D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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