Online Access To The Founding Fathers Papers
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has signed a cooperative agreement with the University of Virginia and its Virginia Foundation for the Humanities to provide pre-publication access to 68,000 historical papers of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington that have not yet been published in authoritative documentary editions.
- Online Access To The Founding Fathers Papers, "Press Release," The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (September 29, 2011). David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, notes, "These documentary editions provide a treasure trove of information about the founding of our nation. The historical documents contain fascinating details about the thoughts, deeds, and lives of these seminal figures. This agreement ensures that we leverage the latest technology and processes to ensure that all Americans can access and use these papers."
- National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Poverty in America
C-SPAN will feature 3 hours on the topic of Poverty in America Sunday, October 2, 2011 on C-SPAN 1 from 7am - 10am (EDT). Announcement from C-SPAN:
Poverty in America This Sunday, October 2, C-SPAN's Washington Journal program presents "Poverty in America", looking at the face of poverty and the Federal, State, and community programs aimed at reducing poverty. Poverty by the Numbers 7:45am - 8:30am ET on C-SPAN A look at the recent Census data showing a record 42.6 [sic, 46.2] million people are now living in poverty in America. We’ll look at the demographics of who is living in poverty, how the face of poverty has changed since the economic downturn and how poverty is measured. Federal Programs & Poverty 8:30am - 9:30am ET on C-SPAN A discussion on federal poverty-related programs: what they are, how much they cost, and their efficacy in reducing poverty. Programs to Fight Poverty 8:30am - 9:30am ET on C-SPAN A look at one of the many community programs to help fight poverty and how they partner with the federal government. We feature the "Half in Ten" campaign, which aims to cut poverty in half in ten years.See also: Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010 (Sept 13, 2011) Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010 Current Population Reports, P60-239, Issued September 2011. Census.gov › People and Households › Poverty Main Continue reading
Proposed Cuts to GAO
Proposed cuts to Congress's investigative arm spark protest, By Alexander Bolton, The Hill (09/29/11).
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Republican, Sen. John Hoeven (N.D.), have crafted legislation to cut Congress's budget by 5.2 percent, or $200 million. Nearly $42 million in savings would come from the GAO budget.Hat tip to Benton. Continue reading
New Report Looks at Social Media Usage by Members of the U.S. Congress
Via INFOdocket.com From the Medill News Service (For the Associated Press): Eight of 10 members of Congress are tweeting and using Facebook, but only a handful use the social media sites to reach out to one of their most elusive constituent groups – Millennials, according to some experts. [Clip] Despite the fact that more than 80 percent of Congress is on Facebook and Twitter, only a handful communicate with Millennials in a meaningful way. “I think there is room for improvement with everyone across the board, no matter where you are ideologically, in talking to young people,” said Ron Meyer of Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth advocacy group. The article includes two sidebar with statistics. Here are a couple of examples: * Rep. Darrell Issa — @DarrellIssa — , R-San Diego, is the most frequent tweeter, averaging 13.6 tweets per day. * Two-thirds of congressional tweeters predominately use Twitter.com directly. The other third uses Twitter applications. The most commonly used application is TweetDeck, with 12.7 percent of congressional offices using the application more often than not. * The most popular day of the week to tweet on Capitol Hill is Wednesday. One member, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher — @DanaRohrabacher — R-Huntington Beach, tweets most on Sundays. He also replies the most often: 56.4 percent of his tweets are replies. Read the Complete Article Continue reading