NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) listed the Cook Inlet beluga whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Act earlier this month.
NOAA has been monitoring the status of the beluga whale for quite some time. A "Status Review and Extinction Assessment of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales" was reported in 2006 and again in 2008. You can also take a look at NOAA's "Aerial Surveys of Belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004."
Cook Inlet belugas have also been studied by the Minerals Management Service. Some examples of their studies include "Persistent Chlorinated Compounds and Elements in Tissues of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas" (2000) and "Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Winter" (1999).
The Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Program experienced some bad press in 2007 when an investigation found misconduct on behalf of the deputy assistant secretary involving manipulation of reports used to make decisions on endangered species.
The Bush administration has recently announced its desire to make some modifications to the Endangered Species Act (among other proposed regulatory changes). California Attorney Jerry Brown has submitted a public comment opposing the proposed modifications. If you're interested in commenting on these (or any) proposed regulations, you can make comments and get current information at Regulations.gov.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Election Crimes: Voter Fraud and Intimidation
As the 2008 general election draws near, we have seen increased discussion about election crimes, including voter fraud and voter intimidation, from both Republican and Democratic camps. Unfortunately, statistics on the occurrence of voter fraud and voter intimidation can prove difficult to find.
The US Department of Justice established the Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative in 2002 to aid in the investigation and prevention of election crimes. According to "Fact Sheet: Protecting Voting Rights and Preventing Election Fraud" released in 2008, over 140 people have been charged with election fraud in the past 6 years.
The government has conducted multiple investigations in the area of election crime. After the 2000 general election, congress established the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. The commission was responsible for investigating "federal election system, election administration, and constitutional and federal election law issues." You can read the commission's final report here. The commission also released a series of task force reports on specific issues ranging from voter registration to verification of identity. You can also read transcripts from the hearings that were held before the commission.
The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. In 2006, the EAC released the report "Election Crimes: An Initial Review and Recommendations for Future Study" which focused on the issues of voting fraud and voter intimidation. However, this report is the subject of some controversy. The New York Times reported that the panel altered the report section on voter fraud between the draft report and the final release.
Congress is also investigating election crime issues. In the past few years, a number of hearings have been held:
And for a nice overview of election crime issues and proposed legislation, see the Congressional Research Service report "Election Reform: Issues and Legislative Proposals in the 109th Congress" (February 2007).
For guides and more information on voter rights and election laws, see the Voting Section Home Page from the US DOJ, the Voter Fraud Protection Handbook and the Voter Bill of Rights from the California Secretary of State, and our Elections page.
The US Department of Justice established the Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative in 2002 to aid in the investigation and prevention of election crimes. According to "Fact Sheet: Protecting Voting Rights and Preventing Election Fraud" released in 2008, over 140 people have been charged with election fraud in the past 6 years.
The government has conducted multiple investigations in the area of election crime. After the 2000 general election, congress established the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. The commission was responsible for investigating "federal election system, election administration, and constitutional and federal election law issues." You can read the commission's final report here. The commission also released a series of task force reports on specific issues ranging from voter registration to verification of identity. You can also read transcripts from the hearings that were held before the commission.
The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. In 2006, the EAC released the report "Election Crimes: An Initial Review and Recommendations for Future Study" which focused on the issues of voting fraud and voter intimidation. However, this report is the subject of some controversy. The New York Times reported that the panel altered the report section on voter fraud between the draft report and the final release.
Congress is also investigating election crime issues. In the past few years, a number of hearings have been held:
- "Protecting the right to vote : election deception and irregularities in recent federal elections" (March 2007) (Includes testimony and statement from Barack Obama)
- "Prevention of deceptive practices and voter intimidation in federal elections" (June 2007) (Includes testimony from Barack Obama)
- "In Person Voter Fraud: Myth and Trigger for Disenfranchisement?" (March 2008) (available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)
- "Protecting the Right to Vote: Oversight of the Department of Justice's Preparations for the 2008 General Election" (September 2008) in the Senate (currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)
- "Joint Hearing on: Federal, State and Local Efforts to Prepare for the 2008 Election" (September 2008) in the House (this hearing includes some discussion of ACORN), currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements
- "Ensuring the Rights of College Students to Vote" (September 2008) (currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)
And for a nice overview of election crime issues and proposed legislation, see the Congressional Research Service report "Election Reform: Issues and Legislative Proposals in the 109th Congress" (February 2007).
For guides and more information on voter rights and election laws, see the Voting Section Home Page from the US DOJ, the Voter Fraud Protection Handbook and the Voter Bill of Rights from the California Secretary of State, and our Elections page.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The New US Citizenship Test
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has just introduced its redesigned naturalization test. Although there is some mixed reaction to the exam format, USCIS will begin administering the new test today. The redesigned test will pose 10 questions from a list of 100 potential questions. Applicants must correctly answer 6 of these 10 questions in order to pass the exam. For information on other portions of the naturalization process, check out "Pathway to US Citizenship" from the USCIS.
The Office of Citizenship offers a variety of free study guides and materials to assist applicants in preparing for the exam. These materials are available electronically in PDF formats and in print at McHenry library in the Government Publications section under SuDoc number HS 8.2:C 49/2/TOOLKIT.
For some brief background information on immigration and naturalization in the United States, check out the report "Immigration and Naturalization Fundamentals" from the Congressional Research Service (2003).
For the most recent naturalization statistics, check out "Naturalizations in the United States: 2007" and these tables from the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2007, both from the USCIS. For a more historic perspective on United States naturalization, take a look at "Mapping Trends in Naturalizations: 1980 to 2003" from the Office of Immigration Statistics.
And congress has recently been investigating the delays in the naturalization process. You can take a look at their January 2008 hearing "Naturalization delays: causes, consequences, and solutions."
The Office of Citizenship offers a variety of free study guides and materials to assist applicants in preparing for the exam. These materials are available electronically in PDF formats and in print at McHenry library in the Government Publications section under SuDoc number HS 8.2:C 49/2/TOOLKIT.
For some brief background information on immigration and naturalization in the United States, check out the report "Immigration and Naturalization Fundamentals" from the Congressional Research Service (2003).
For the most recent naturalization statistics, check out "Naturalizations in the United States: 2007" and these tables from the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2007, both from the USCIS. For a more historic perspective on United States naturalization, take a look at "Mapping Trends in Naturalizations: 1980 to 2003" from the Office of Immigration Statistics.
And congress has recently been investigating the delays in the naturalization process. You can take a look at their January 2008 hearing "Naturalization delays: causes, consequences, and solutions."
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