The U.S. Gov’t in the news

The U.S. Government has been in the news lately for quite a few reasons, including these:

• The military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – read the “Report of the
  Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” (Nov. 30, 2010)
• The deficit, the economic downturn, and the proposal on what steps must be taken to improve our financial future – read “The Moment of Truth: Report of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” (Dec. 2010)
• Internet tracking and the need for the equivalent of a “Do Not Call” list – read the Federal Trade Commission’s news release (Dec. 1, 2010) and the staff report “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers” (Dec. 2010)
• The leaked State Dept.’s embassy cables, dubbed “Cablegate: 250,000 US Embassy Diplomatic Cables” by WikiLeaks (released beginning Nov. 28, 2010), and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s “Remarks to the Press on the Release of Confidential Documents” (Nov. 29, 2010). (WikiLeaks was forced forced to move from WikiLeaks.org when its U.S. domain host terminated its relationship with the site, and it now is hosted by a Swiss domain. You can read about that via various news sites online including National Public Radio.)
• Congressional approval and anticipated signing of the Claims Settlement Act that will “provide long-awaited funding for the agreements reached in the Pigford II lawsuit, brought by African American farmers; the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources; and four separate water rights suits made by Native American tribes – read the Bureau of Indian Affairs news release (Nov. 30, 2010), the transcript of a media briefing by the Dept. of Agriculture (Nov. 29, 2010), and the text of the legislation

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