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The Seniority System in Congress: A Selected Bibliography
This report provides a bibliography of resources related to the seniority system in Congress.
[News Script: Leonards]
Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas relating a news story.
Faculty Recital: 2017-11-12 – Jeff Bradetich, double bass
Faculty recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall.
[News Clip: Drive-by]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
Current Debates over Exchange Rates: Overview and Issues for Congress
This report provides information on current debates over exchange rates in the global economy. It offers an overview of how exchange rates work; analyzes specific disagreements and debates; and examines existing frameworks for potentially addressing currency disputes. It also lays out some policy options available to Congress, should Members want to take action on exchange rate issues.
Jazz Recital: 2012-11-12 - Zebras
Jazz recital presented at the UNT College of Music Kenton Hall.
Air Traffic Control: FAA's Acquisition Management Has Improved, but Policies and Oversight Need Strengthening to Help Ensure Results
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control (ATC) system has resulted in cost, schedule, and performance shortfalls for over two decades and has been on GAO's list of high-risk federal programs since 1995. According to FAA, performance shortfalls were due, in part, to restrictions imposed by federal acquisition and personnel regulations. In response, Congress granted FAA exemptions in 1995 and directed it to develop a new acquisition management system. In this report, GAO compared FAA's AMS with (1) the FAR and (2) commercial best practices for major acquisitions, and (3) examined FAA's implementation of AMS and its progress in resolving problems with major acquisitions."
Options for a Federal Renewable Electricity Standard
This report discusses current ideas for a federal Renewable Electricity (or Energy) Standard (RES) and a broader Clean Energy Standard (CES). The goal of this report is to explore how such policies could potentially increase the amounts of renewable electricity generated in the United States, discussing other related public policy goals and rationales for renewable energy development, and the challenges/drawbacks of RES policy.
The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Issues in the U.S. Ratification Debate
The Senate may consider providing its advice and consent to U.S. ratification of the United Nations (U.N.) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, or the Convention) during the 112th Congress. CEDAW is the only international human rights treaty that specifically addresses the rights of women. This report provides an overview of CEDAW's background, objectives, and structure, including the role of the Convention's monitoring body, the CEDAW Committee. It examines U.S. policy and issues in the U.S. ratification debate, including the Convention's possible impact on U.S. sovereignty, its effectiveness in combating discrimination, and its role as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy.
VA and DOD Health Care: Efforts to Coordinate a Single Physical Exam Process for Servicemembers Leaving the Military
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Servicemembers who leave the military and file disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be subject to potentially duplicative physical exams in order to meet requirements of both the Department of Defense's (DOD) military services and VA. To streamline the process for these servicemembers, the military services and VA have attempted to coordinate their physical exam requirements by developing a single separation exam program. In 1998, VA and DOD signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) instructing local units to establish single separation exam programs. This report examines (1) VA's and the military services' efforts to establish single separation exam programs, and (2) the challenges to establishing single separation exam programs. To obtain this information, GAO interviewed VA and military service officials about establishing the program; evaluated existing programs at selected military installations; and visited selected installations that did not have programs."
Defense Management: Actions Needed to Ensure National Guard and Reserve Headquarters Are Sized to be Efficient
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Between fiscal years 2009 and 2013, the total number of funded positions--both full-time support and part-time--at the Department of Defense's (DOD) 75 Army Reserve and Air Force Reserve (Reserves) component headquarters grew from about 30,200 to 31,900 positions (about 6 percent overall). Some organizations grew more markedly, among them the National Guard Bureau (17 percent); Army National Guard Directorate (44 percent); Air National Guard Readiness Center (21 percent); and the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve (45 percent). DOD officials attribute growth to the conversion of contractor workload into civilian positions and increased missions assigned at certain headquarters. Over the same period, staff levels at the National Guard's 54 state Joint Force headquarters remained flat and the Air Force Reserve shrank by 4 percent."
Nursing Home Deaths: Arkansas Coroner Referrals Confirm Weaknesses in State and Federal Oversight of Quality of Care
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO was asked to assess the effectiveness of nursing home oversight by considering the effect of a unique Arkansas law that requires county coroners to investigate all nursing home deaths. Coroners refer cases of suspected neglect to the state survey agency and law enforcement entities such as the state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with survey agencies in every state to periodically inspect nursing homes and investigate allegations of poor care or neglect. MFCUs are charged with investigating and prosecuting resident neglect. GAO examined (1) the results of Arkansas coroner investigations, (2) the state survey agency's experience in investigating coroner referrals, and (3) whether weaknesses in state and federal nursing home oversight identified in prior GAO reports were evident in the survey agency's investigation of coroner referrals."
Census 2000: Design Choices Contributed to Inaccuracy of Coverage Evaluation Estimates
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Evaluations of past censuses show that certain groups were undercounted compared to other groups, a problem known as "coverage error." To address this, the Census Bureau included in its 2000 Census design the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation Program (A.C.E.) to (1) measure coverage error and (2) use the results to adjust the census, if warranted. However, the Bureau found the A.C.E. results inaccurate and decided not to adjust or plan for adjustment in 2010. Congress asked GAO to determine (1) factors contributing to A.C.E.'s reported failure to accurately estimate census coverage error, and (2) the reliability of the revised coverage error estimates the Bureau subsequently produced. To do this, GAO examined three sets of Bureau research published in March 2001, October 2001, and March 2003 and interviewed Bureau officials."
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Assessment of Federal Financial Risks and Cost Reimbursement and Notification Policies and Procedures
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On April 20, 2010, an oil spill of national significance in the Gulf of Mexico followed an explosion on the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon (the Deepwater Horizon oil spill). The Deepwater Horizon was leased by BP America Production Company (BP) as part of the Macondo project. 152 days later, on September 19, 2010, BP confirmed the completion of cementing operations to prevent further oil from spilling from the Macondo Prospect well to which the Deepwater Horizon was attached when it exploded. In order to coordinate the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the National Incident Commander established the Deepwater Integrated Services Team (IST) consisting of 18 federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The U.S. Coast Guard's National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) designated two BP subsidiaries--BP Exploration and Production and its guarantor, BP Corporation North America, Inc.--and five other companies as "Responsible Parties" for Deepwater Horizon oil spill related claims. Shortly after the spill, at the direction of NPFC, BP established a facility to receive and process all claims against Responsible Parties. In June 2010, as part of an oral agreement between the administration and BP, BP established a new claims processing facility--the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF). GCCF began operations on August 23, 2010, and is responsible for handling claims from individuals and businesses for damages resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP also established an irrevocable trust (Trust), to which BP is to provide a total of $20 billion by 2014, primarily for the purpose of paying GCCF and other claims related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The total cost to clean up this massive and potentially unprecedented spill, the damage to the environment, …
State Department: Diplomatic Security's Recent Growth Warrants Strategic Review
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "State Department's (State) Bureau of Diplomatic Security (Diplomatic Security) is responsible for the protection of people, information, and property at over 400 foreign missions and domestic locations. Diplomatic Security must be prepared to counter threats such as crime, espionage, visa and passport fraud, technological intrusions, political violence, and terrorism. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to assess (1) how Diplomatic Security's mission has evolved since 1998, (2) how its resources have changed over the last 10 years, and (3) the challenges it faces in conducting its missions. GAO analyzed Diplomatic Security data; reviewed relevant documents; and interviewed officials at several domestic facilities and 18 international missions."
Preliminary Observations on DOD Estimates of Contract Termination Liability
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In its review of guidance and practices related to contract termination liability estimates, the Department of Defense (DOD) found that weapons programs generally received estimates of contract termination liability from contractors;, although there is no comprehensive guidance on how or when programs should require or consider these estimates. DOD plans to include additional language to help ensure that program managers are aware of the need to consider termination liability before contract award and during the life of a contract in its next update of its acquisition management guidance."
Defense Health Care: Force Health Protection and Surveillance Policy Compliance Was Mixed, but Appears Better for Recent Deployments
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A lack of servicemember health and deployment data hampered investigations into the nature and causes of illnesses reported by many servicemembers following the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. Public Law 105-85, enacted in November 1997, required the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a system to assess the medical condition of servicemembers before and after deployments. Following its September 2003 report examining Army and Air Force compliance with DOD's force health protection and surveillance policies for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Joint Guardian (OJG), GAO was asked in November 2003 to also determine (1) the extent to which the services met DOD's policies for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and, where applicable, compare results with OEF/OJG; and (2) what steps DOD has taken to establish a quality assurance program to ensure that the military services comply with force health protection and surveillance policies."
Management Report: Improvements Are Needed to Strengthen the American Battle Monuments Commission's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During its audit of the American Battle Monuments Commission’s (the Commission) fiscal year 2012 financial statements, GAO identified two material weaknesses that resulted in ineffective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2012. Specifically, the material weaknesses concern the Commission’s financial reporting process and its monitoring process. Because of these control weaknesses, GAO found significant errors in the Commission’s financial reporting that were not detected by the Commission. The Commission made the necessary adjustments and was able to prepare financial statements that were fairly stated in all material respects by fiscal year-end. However, these material weaknesses increase the risk that a material misstatement of the Commission’s financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. GAO also found that a previously reported significant deficiency concerning foreign payroll processing continued to exist during fiscal year 2012. These material weaknesses and the significant deficiency in internal control warrant the attention of those charged with governance of the Commission."
Single-Family Housing: Progress Made, but Opportunities Exist to Improve HUD's Oversight of FHA Lenders
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Every year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through its Federal Housing Administration (FHA), insures billions of dollars in home mortgage loans made by private lenders. Oversight of lenders has historically been a challenge for HUD. In January 2003, GAO reported that, due in part to poor lender oversight, HUD's single-family mortgage insurance programs remained a high-risk area. This report examines (1) how well HUD follows its guidance when granting lenders direct endorsement authority (the ability to underwrite loans and determine their eligibility for FHA mortgage insurance without HUD's prior review), (2) the extent to which HUD uses a risk-based approach when monitoring FHA lenders, and (3) the extent to which HUD holds accountable lenders that it identifies as not complying with its performance requirements."
SSA Disability Decision Making: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure Accuracy and Fairness of Decisions at the Hearing Level
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Historically, the proportion of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) disability benefits claims that were approved has been lower for African-Americans than for whites. In 1992, GAO found that racial differences, largely at the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level, could not be completely explained by factors related to the decision-making process. This report examines how race and other factors influence ALJ decisions and assesses SSA's ability to ensure the accuracy and fairness of ALJ decisions."
Coast Guard: Strategy Needed for Setting and Monitoring Levels of Effort for All Missions
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The September 11th attacks affected the scope of activities of many federal agencies, including the Coast Guard. Homeland security, a long-standing but relatively small part of the Coast Guard's duties, took center stage. Still, the Coast Guard remains responsible for many other missions, such as helping stem the flow of drugs and illegal migration, protecting important fishing grounds, and responding to marine pollution. GAO was asked to review the Coast Guard's current efforts and future plans for balancing resource levels among its many missions."
[News Clip: Tarrant County commisioners]
B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Fort Worth School board]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Iran Protest]
B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Air bags]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Derailment Adalene Harrison about recent train wrecks in Dallas]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: SMU Homecoming]
B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Boarding home]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Iran protest in Dallas]
B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Shell reaction]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
[News Clip: Gas dealer]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
International Monetary Fund: Lending Programs Allow for Negotiations and Are Consistent with Economic Literature
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly increased its total committed lending to countries from about $3.5 billion in August 2008 to about $170.4 billion in August 2009, as countries have been severely affected by the global economic crisis. IMF-supported programs are intended to help countries overcome balance-of-payments problems, stabilize their economies, and restore sustainable economic growth. Critics have long-standing concerns that the IMF has an overly austere approach to macroeconomic policy that does not sufficiently heed country viewpoints. To help address these concerns, the IMF recently stated that it has changed its policies, including by increasing its flexibility. GAO was asked to examine (1) the process for designing an IMF-supported program, (2) the IMF-supported programs in four recipient countries, and (3) the extent to which the findings of empirical economic studies are consistent with the IMF's macroeconomic policies. GAO analyzed IMF and recipient country documents; interviewed U.S., IMF, and foreign government officials, conducting fieldwork in four relatively large recipient countries; and analyzed published or widely cited empirical studies. GAO received written comments from the Department of the Treasury, noting its concurrence with the report's conclusions."
Defense Acquisitions: Strategic Airlift Gap Has Been Addressed, but Tactical Airlift Plans Are Evolving as Key Issues Have Not Been Resolved
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Department of Defense (DOD) used nearly 700 aircraft, as well as commercial and leased aircraft, to carry about 3 million troops and 800,000 tons of cargo in support of wartime, peacetime, and humanitarian efforts in 2008. C-5s and C-17s move troops and cargo internationally (strategic airlift) and C-130s are the primary aircraft that moves them within a theater of operation (tactical airlift). Over the next 4 years, DOD plans to spend about $12 billion to modernize and procure airlifters and is currently studying how many it needs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to (1) identify the status of DOD's modernization and acquisition efforts and (2) determine how well DOD is addressing any capability gaps and redundancies. In conducting this work, GAO identified the cost, schedule, and performance of airlift programs, as well as DOD's plan for addressing gaps and redundancies. GAO also discussed mobility study efforts with DOD, Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA), and RAND Coporation officials."
[News Script: 1918 Fliers Honored at Memorial Service]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about the annual memorial service of the World War I Fliers Club for Canadian servicemen who died while training in the Fort Worth area. The Canadian fliers are buried in a section of Greenwood Cemetery.
[News Script: Killer]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about police officers visiting an admitted murderer at Parkland hospital. It is later announced that T. J. Lang is not being considered a suspect.
[News Script: Watermelon Check is Cashed by Bank]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about Larry Bomer. He performed a television stunt in which he took a watermelon with a check on its side from California to the Fort Worth National Bank to cash it in.
[News Script: Woman Testifies in Ferrantello Inquiry]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about the re-opening of the investigation of "Chicken" Louie Ferrantello's July murder. Betty Louise Barry testifies about her role in the shooting.
[News Script: Blind Columnist to Address Convention]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about Victor Riesel, a newspaper columnist, who was blinded earlier this year by a youth who threw acid at him. He arrives in Dallas on his way to Fort Worth, where he will address the Texas Manufacturers Association's thirty-fourth annual conference.
[News Script: Stock]
Script from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas, covering a news story about the opening of new officers for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Beane in Fort Worth. An electronic board is included in the building, which shows the price changes in more than three-hundred stocks and commodities as they occur in New York.
Lampsilis hydiana, Specimen #339
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits a rhomboidal shape; thin shell; double looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be relatively-recently dead when collected.
Lampsilis teres, Specimen #340
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 100 - 120 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Lampsilis teres, Specimen #341
One preserved mussel specimen including the right valve only. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; white internal coloring; reddish-brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be relatively-recently dead when collected.
Lampsilis teres, Specimen #342
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; white internal coloring; tan external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Lampsilis teres, Specimen #343
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Lampsilis teres, Specimen #344
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Tritogonia verrucosa, Specimen #928
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; thick shell; white internal coloring; dark brown external coloring; external sculpturing in the form of pustules. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 100 - 120 mm in length and was assessed to be relatively-recently dead when collected.
Toxolasma texasense, Specimen #1157
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Atachafalaya basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Toxolasma texasense, Specimen #1158
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 0 - 60 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Toxolasma texasense, Specimen #1159
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 0 - 60 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.
Toxolasma texasense, Specimen #1160
One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an elliptical shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Red River basin. The specimen measures between 0 - 60 mm in length and was assessed to be relatively-recently dead when collected.
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