In celebration of 75 years of Louisiana State Parks, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu declared Saturday, April 18, to be a free "Day in the Park." During this special event, entrance fees will be waived for all visitors to Louisiana's State Parks and Historic Sites throughout the state.
"For three-quarters of a century, our State Parks and Historic Sites have given locals and visitors a chance to experience Louisiana's natural beauty," said Lt. Governor Landrieu, who oversees the Office of State Parks. "We are proud to have one of the finest parks systems in the country, offering recreational and educational opportunities throughout Louisiana. Our parks and historic sites are vitally important to our local economies. I invite you to come see for yourself all our State Parks have to offer."
For more information, read the full press release available through www.louisiana.gov.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
National Park Week April 18-26
National Park Week is an annual Presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of Your National Parks. The National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, maintains a website for National Park Week, www.nps.gov/npweek/index.htm.
To find events scheduled during the week in a park near you, visit the Events by State page, at www.nps.gov/npweek/sched.htm.
Show Us the Money, Louisiana!
The federal government has created a website, www.recovery.gov, so that U.S. taxpayers can see where and how the economic stimulus monies provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are being spent.
The site provides a breakdown by state, so Louisianians can follow the money close to home. Visit http://www.stimulus.la.gov/, or go to the www.recovery.gov website, select "State Progress and Resources" from the right hand sidebar, and then select Louisiana on the interactive map of the United States.
It is also possible to read Governor Jindal's letter certifying that Louisiana will "accept funds provided by the Act and use them to promote economic growth and create jobs in a fiscally responsible manner that is in the best interest of the citizens of Louisiana," at http://www.recovery.gov/sites/default/files/certification_la.pdf.
The site provides a breakdown by state, so Louisianians can follow the money close to home. Visit http://www.stimulus.la.gov/, or go to the www.recovery.gov website, select "State Progress and Resources" from the right hand sidebar, and then select Louisiana on the interactive map of the United States.
It is also possible to read Governor Jindal's letter certifying that Louisiana will "accept funds provided by the Act and use them to promote economic growth and create jobs in a fiscally responsible manner that is in the best interest of the citizens of Louisiana," at http://www.recovery.gov/sites/default/files/certification_la.pdf.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department Newsletter
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Department, U.S. Department of Energy, publishes a weekly newsletter, the EERE Network News. The newsletter covers national and international energy efficiency and renewable energy news and events, as well as new EERE Web sites and energy facts.
The current newsletter, and an archive of previous issues, is available from http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm.
In addition to the newsletter, the EERE's site provides other useful links, including links to EERE testimony to Congress on energy efficiency topics, at
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/office_eere/congressional_test.html.
EERE is organized around 10 energy programs:
The current newsletter, and an archive of previous issues, is available from http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm.
In addition to the newsletter, the EERE's site provides other useful links, including links to EERE testimony to Congress on energy efficiency topics, at
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/office_eere/congressional_test.html.
EERE is organized around 10 energy programs:
- Biomass Program
- Building Technologies Program
- Federal Energy Management Program
- Geothermal Technologies Program
- Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program
- Industrial Technologies Program
- Solar Energy Technologies Program
- Vehicle Technologies Program
- Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program
- Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Earth Day's A'Comin! -- "Go GREEN!"
Earth Day 2009 (April 22) is just around the corner. What can you do?
If you are ready to do more than you are already to protect and preserve our environment, the Environmental Protection Agency is ready to help, with a free monthly newsletter.
"America is shifting to a "green culture" where all 300 million citizens are embracing the fact that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. To help, you can sign up to receive EPA's new consumer newsletter, GO GREEN!
EPA launched this monthly email newsletter to provide "what you can do" information about activities and events that we can use in our homes, communities, and offices."
To subscribe, go to (http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/gogreen/) and enter your preferred email address.
If you are ready to do more than you are already to protect and preserve our environment, the Environmental Protection Agency is ready to help, with a free monthly newsletter.
"America is shifting to a "green culture" where all 300 million citizens are embracing the fact that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. To help, you can sign up to receive EPA's new consumer newsletter, GO GREEN!
EPA launched this monthly email newsletter to provide "what you can do" information about activities and events that we can use in our homes, communities, and offices."
To subscribe, go to (http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/gogreen/) and enter your preferred email address.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Federal Trade Commission & "Free" Credit Reports
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies.
The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.
Warning: Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.
For more information on how and why you might want to obtain your credit report(s), visit the FTC page, visit "Facts for Consumers: Your Access to Free Credit Reports," at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm.
The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.
Warning: Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.
For more information on how and why you might want to obtain your credit report(s), visit the FTC page, visit "Facts for Consumers: Your Access to Free Credit Reports," at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
New: International Journal of Defense
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) has announced publication of International Journal of Defense Acquisition Management, (IJDAM, ISSN 1940-3445), a new, free online journal that is being jointly published by the Acquisition Research Program at NPS and the Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
You can find out more about the journal and download current articles at
http://www.acquisitionjournal.org/, or visit http://www.acquisitionjournal.org/archive.cfm for previous issues.
You can find out more about the journal and download current articles at
http://www.acquisitionjournal.org/, or visit http://www.acquisitionjournal.org/archive.cfm for previous issues.
Overview of 2010 Budget Now Available
A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise provides a description of the Obama Administration’s fiscal policies and major budgetary initiatives. This document is an overview of the full Fiscal Year 2010 Budget expected to be released this spring. A New Era is available for download at
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy10/pdf/fy10-newera.pdf.
A paper edition will be distributed to federal depository libraries, such as ULM. In addition, hard copies may be purchased from the Government Printing Office at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/new-era.jsp.
The document begins with President Obama's message, in which he states that "This Budget is a first step in that journey. It lays out for the American people the extent of the crisis we inherited, the steps we will take to jumpstart our economy to create new jobs, and our plans to transform our economy for the 21st Century to give our children and grandchildren the fruits of many years of economic growth."
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy10/pdf/fy10-newera.pdf.
A paper edition will be distributed to federal depository libraries, such as ULM. In addition, hard copies may be purchased from the Government Printing Office at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/new-era.jsp.
The document begins with President Obama's message, in which he states that "This Budget is a first step in that journey. It lays out for the American people the extent of the crisis we inherited, the steps we will take to jumpstart our economy to create new jobs, and our plans to transform our economy for the 21st Century to give our children and grandchildren the fruits of many years of economic growth."
Federal Consumer Information Center News
"Beware!" says the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB has seen a considerable spike in both complaints and inquiries from consumers who state that they received misleading mailers or high-pressure telemarketing calls claiming their auto warranty was about to expire.
“As an outgrowth of our country’s economic troubles, and to some extent problems in the auto industry, BBB is hearing from consumers nationwide who are being bombarded by telemarketers and mailers trying to scare them into thinking their auto warranty is about to expire and if they don’t sign-up now the offer expires,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Not only are these telemarketers lying about the consumer’s coverage, they are potentially ignoring federal laws such as the Do-Not-Call registry.”
For the full story on this and other consumer alerts, visit the Federal Consumer Information News & Notes site at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/newsnote.htm.
“As an outgrowth of our country’s economic troubles, and to some extent problems in the auto industry, BBB is hearing from consumers nationwide who are being bombarded by telemarketers and mailers trying to scare them into thinking their auto warranty is about to expire and if they don’t sign-up now the offer expires,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Not only are these telemarketers lying about the consumer’s coverage, they are potentially ignoring federal laws such as the Do-Not-Call registry.”
For the full story on this and other consumer alerts, visit the Federal Consumer Information News & Notes site at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/newsnote.htm.
Monday, February 9, 2009
11th Annual National FOI Day Conference
The First Amendment Center Online has announced that the 11th annual National FOI Day Conference will be held on Friday, March 13, in the Freedom Forum’s Newseum, a "250,000-square-foot museum of news," in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year’s conference, hosted by the First Amendment Center, is “Freedom and Information: Looking Back and Looking Forward.”
The program will include legal scholars, lawyers and journalists discussing the state of freedom of information after the Bush administration and its prospects in the Obama administration. David Vladeck, a Georgetown University law professor, will speak on “The Last Eight Years: Freedom of Information in the Bush Era.” Meredith Fuchs, general counsel for the National Security Archive, will moderate a discussion afterwards with the following commentators: Mike German, national-security expert, American Civil Liberties Union, Mark Tapscott, editorial-page editor, The Washington Examiner, Richard A. Samp, chief counsel for the Washington Legal Foundation, and Professor Rena Steinzor of the University of Maryland School of Law.
The FOI Day Conference, which brings together access advocates, government officials, lawyers, librarians, journalists, educators and others, is presented in association with Sunshine Week, the American Library Association and OpenTheGovernment.org.
There is no charge to attend, but because space is limited, participants must register individually in advance. To register, e-mail ahampton@freedomforum.org or call 202/292-6288. When registering, please provide your name, title, affiliation and contact information.
The First Amendment Center, with offices at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C., is an operating program of the Freedom Forum and is associated with the Newseum and the Diversity Institute. Its affiliation with Vanderbilt University is through the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies. Its offices on the Vanderbilt campus are located in the John Seigenthaler Center.
The program will include legal scholars, lawyers and journalists discussing the state of freedom of information after the Bush administration and its prospects in the Obama administration. David Vladeck, a Georgetown University law professor, will speak on “The Last Eight Years: Freedom of Information in the Bush Era.” Meredith Fuchs, general counsel for the National Security Archive, will moderate a discussion afterwards with the following commentators: Mike German, national-security expert, American Civil Liberties Union, Mark Tapscott, editorial-page editor, The Washington Examiner, Richard A. Samp, chief counsel for the Washington Legal Foundation, and Professor Rena Steinzor of the University of Maryland School of Law.
The FOI Day Conference, which brings together access advocates, government officials, lawyers, librarians, journalists, educators and others, is presented in association with Sunshine Week, the American Library Association and OpenTheGovernment.org.
There is no charge to attend, but because space is limited, participants must register individually in advance. To register, e-mail ahampton@freedomforum.org or call 202/292-6288. When registering, please provide your name, title, affiliation and contact information.
The First Amendment Center, with offices at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C., is an operating program of the Freedom Forum and is associated with the Newseum and the Diversity Institute. Its affiliation with Vanderbilt University is through the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies. Its offices on the Vanderbilt campus are located in the John Seigenthaler Center.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Best Sources for Legislative Info
The Government Printing Office recently completed an in-depth analysis of access to legislative information provided by eight government and non-government websites. The report specifically evaluates the availability of legislative resources on all of the databases examined, the scope of the resources on each database, the source of those resources (i.e., whether they house their own content or link to other Web sites for it), and additional legislative resources or features exclusive to comparable Web sites.
The report, "Comparison of Legislative Resources on GPO Access and Selected Government and Non-Government Web Sites, October 2008," and previous reports are available through the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB) at http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/library/compare/. Federal agencies use the FBB as a means to distribute electronic files in various file formats to the public.
The eight websites studied are:
The report, "Comparison of Legislative Resources on GPO Access and Selected Government and Non-Government Web Sites, October 2008," and previous reports are available through the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB) at http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/library/compare/. Federal agencies use the FBB as a means to distribute electronic files in various file formats to the public.
The eight websites studied are:
Friday, January 23, 2009
New Journal: Federal History
The first issue of Federal History, January 2009, is now available online at http://www.shfg.org/SHFGv3JournalIssues.html.
The journal is published by the Society for History in the Federal Government. According to the publisher's blurb, "Federal History features scholarship on all aspects of the history and workings of the federal government, and of critical historical interactions between American society and the government, including the U.S. military, 1776 to the present. It also publishes articles examining contemporary issues and challenges in federal history work."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
This Month in Senate History: January 21, 1861
"In a scene of high drama, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis and four southern colleagues rose on the Senate floor to to ffer final remarks before withdrawing from the body and returning to their states. As spectators jammed the galleries, Davis ... stated his belief that sovereign states had the right to leave the Union.... Within weeks, Davis would become president of the Confederate States of America, a position he held throughout the Civil War."
This factoid appears in "January: This Month in Senate History," Y 1.3:S.PUB.105-32, one of a series of pamphlets published by the Senate Historical Office. These pamphlets may be found at the ULM Library in the file cabinets located in Media Services, Room 205. Ask for assistance in the Government Publications Office, Room 210.
This factoid appears in "January: This Month in Senate History," Y 1.3:S.PUB.105-32, one of a series of pamphlets published by the Senate Historical Office. These pamphlets may be found at the ULM Library in the file cabinets located in Media Services, Room 205. Ask for assistance in the Government Publications Office, Room 210.
Change Comes to www.whitehouse.gov
Following the transition to the Obama administration on January 20th, there is a new look and feel and new content on the White House website at http://www.whitehouse.gov.
Web pages from the Bush administration may be found at http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/.
Web pages from the Bush administration may be found at http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/.
Inauguration Got Your Attention?
Did you know that President Obama took the oath of office on the same Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln? If you would like to know more about this, or what other Presidents had to say at their inaugurations, or if you really want to know more about where the President and his family live, or about that beautiful room in the U.S. Capitol where the VIPs had lunch after the inauguration ... Come to the University Library. There are new displays on the 1st and 2nd floors to satisfy your curiousity.
On a more serious note, the new bulletin board display in the 2nd floor Government Documents Reading Area shows how federal laws are made, and just how you can keep on top of what laws and regulations are being passed.
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