1856 - "California was ideal cattle country, with unending miles of green grass carpeting the hills with the annual winter rains. By 1856, cattle prices had dropped to $16-$18 per head. Rancheros found themselves heavily in debt and totally unprepared for the staggering interest rates charged by American lenders. Mortgaged ranchos were lost, and the Hispanic identity of California diminished as the subdivided ranchos changed in character to predominantly New England style farmsteads. The intolerable economic situation was worsened by a succession of disastrous seasons bringing unprecedented floods and killing droughts. "  http://www.mchsmuseum.com/cattle.html  

1856 - "A tent city called Rootville sprang up and quickly prospered where the San Joaquin River flows out of the Sierra Nevada foothills and into the Central Valley, near a U.S. military encampment known as Camp Barbour, built in 1850.... Rootville later changed to Millerton and served as the Fresno County seat from 1856 to 1874. Friant Dam was built across the river canyon in 1944. Camp Barbour is now beneath Millerton Lake's surface. "  http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/587/files/millerton.  

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

• When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

• California State Employees may contact the State Information & Reference Center (916-654-0206; cslsirc@library.ca.gov) with the SITN issue number and the item number [S#].

• All other interested individuals should contact their local library - the items may be available there, or may be borrowed by your local library on your behalf.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

IMMIGRATION

Border Security: Continued Weaknesses in Screening Entrants into the United States: Statement by Gregory D. Kutz, U.S. Government Accountability Office. Presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. GAO-06-976T. (The Office, Washington, DC) August 2006. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d06976t.pdf

["Using fictitious driver’s licenses and other bogus documentation, agents successfully entered the U. S. through nine land ports-of-entry on the northern and southern borders. Border Patrol officers never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents presented at any of the nine crossings. On three occasions — in California, Texas, and Arizona — agents crossed the border on foot. At two of these locations — Texas and Arizona — officers allowed the agents entry into the United States without asking for or inspecting any identification documents."]

[Request #S64501]

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Juvenile Justice and Mental Health: Working Together for the Best Outcomes for Youth With Serious Emotional Disorders. By Joyce Burrell, Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health. (The Partnership, Washington, DC) 2006. 32 p.

Full Text at: www.tapartnership.org/advisors/juvenile_justice/downloads/JJ_MH_Pub.pdf

["Unfortunately, when a child or adolescent becomes involved with the juvenile justice system, all other child-serving systems with the capacity to meet the child’s needs withdraw. They assume a 'hands-off' approach until the justice involvement ends. As a result, outcome data on youth in the justice system indicate that youth with serious emotional disorders have the highest recidivism rates compared to other youth in the justice system and are often placed in residential settings designed to handle only one of their multiple issues or problems."]

[Request #S64502]

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Pedestrian and Motor Vehicle Post-Stop Data Analysis Report. By Geoffrey P. Alpert and others, Analysis Group, Inc. Prepared for the City of Los Angeles. (The Group, Los Angeles, California) 2006. 163 p.

Full Text at: tinyurl.com/y42w9g

["A study that was supposed to determine whether officers conducted searches or arrests of motorists and pedestrians based on their race or ethnicity showed that Latino and black motorists are more likely than whites to be searched during a traffic stop, but the study failed to determine whether the treatment was a sign of racial profiling by officers."]

[Request #S64503]

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Addressing Sexual Violence in Prisons: A National Snapshot of Approaches and Highlights of Innovative Strategies: Final Report. By Janine M. Zweig, Urban Institute, and others. (The Institute, Washington, DC) October 2006. 186 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411367_psv_programs.pdf

["More than 6,000 reports of sexual violence were made to prison administrators in 2005, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. A new study examines what state departments of correction are doing to prevent and respond to these incidents.... Thirty-five states reported having policies and programs to prevent sexual violence in prisons. The most frequently cited preventative measures included inmate housing assignment and transfer strategies, initiatives to address overcrowding, and inmate education... Barriers to developing PSV policies include changing correctional culture, staff resistance, fears of inmates making false allegations and lack of adequate resources" Urban Institute Update (October 12, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64504]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

SAME-SEX MARRIAGES

In Re: Marriage Cases. California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District. JCCP No. 4365. October 5, 2006. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/A110449.PDF

["Gays and lesbians have no constitutional right to marry in California, and any change giving them that right must come from state lawmakers or the voters rather than the legal system, a court declared. The court said there were major differences between this case and the California Supreme Court's landmark 1948 ruling that struck down the state's ban on interracial marriage. That ruling did not purport to change the traditional definition of marriage. Instead, it took aim at the law's perpetuation of racial discrimination, which -- unlike discrimination based on sexual orientation -- is condemned in the U.S. Constitution.... The plaintiffs plan to file their appeals next month.... A hearing could take place in late 2007." San Francisco Chronicle (October 6, 2006) A1.]

[Request #S64505]

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DEMOGRAPHY

OLDER AMERICANS

Building an Aging Agenda for the 21st Century. By the California Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, and others. (The Committee, Sacramento, California) September 2006. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.seniors.org/pdf/BuildingAgingAgendaforthe21stCentury.pdf

["A group of lawmakers and senior advocates warned that the aging phenomenon threatens to strain the state's resources unless California begins planning for change. The report takes a broad look at legislative changes it says the state should begin to address as the first of the baby boomers turn 60 this year. Among the policy priorities in the report are Medi-Cal funding of telemedicine; driver screening programs; building codes that reflect the needs of the elderly; and stiffer penalties for crooks who prey on seniors." Sacramento Bee (September 28, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64506]

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ECONOMY

BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization. By Ross DeVol and Armen Bedroussian, Milken Institute. (The Institute, Santa Monica, California) September 2006. 320 p.

Full Text at: www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/mind2mrkt_2006.pdf

["If a university is located in a region like Cambridge Massachusetts, or San Diego, where there is high 'absorptive capacity' in the economic ecosystem for research output, the likelihood of success in commercializing research is enhanced. A well-run technology-transfer office also makes a difference. For every $1 invested in technology-transfer staff members, the university receives more than $6 in licensing income.... The top ranking for biotechnology research went to Harvard University. The San Diego and San Francisco branches of University of California ranked among the top 10 in research quality, patent quality, and in the commercialization index." Chronicle of Higher Education (September 21, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64507]

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Labor Day 2006: Job and Wage Growth Lag Despite Economic Recovery. By the California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) September 2006. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/publications/documents/0608_pp_laborday_001.pdf

["Labor Day 2006 brought troubling news for California workers. Despite five years of economic recovery, job growth has been weak and workers' wages have experienced little or no growth, after adjusting for inflation. Meanwhile, corporate profits have grown substantially and only the wealthiest Californians have experienced significant gains in income."]

[Request #S64509]

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Revisiting NAFTA: Still Not Working for North America's Workers. By Robert E. Scott and others, Economic Policy Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) September 28, 2006. 60 p.

Full Text at: www.epinet.org/briefingpapers/173/bp173.pdf

["The North American Free Trade Agreement lowered the standard of living for workers in the US, Mexico and Canada; led to cuts in social spending; and prompted wages to stagnate or even fall. Twelve years later, it is clear that the costs to workers outweighed the benefits in all three nations..... Workers' share of the gains from rising productivity fell and the proportion of income and wealth going to those at the very top of the economic pyramid grew." Reuters (September 27, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64510]

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The University and the Creative Economy. By Richard Florida and others, Richard Florida Creativity Group. (The Group, Washington, DC) 2006. 51 p.

Full Text at: creativeclass.org/rfcgdb/articles/univ_creative_economy082406.pdf

["In the past few decades, human creativity has replaced natural resources and physical capital as the predominant driver of economic growth. The creative sector — which includes science and technology; the arts, culture, and entertainment; and knowledge-based professions like law, finance, health care, and education — employs some 40 million Americans. It accounts for almost one-third of total employment and more than $2-trillion dollars in wages and salaries, or as much as the manufacturing and service sectors combined. It has generated roughly 20 million new jobs between 1980 and 2004, and is projected to add another 10 million between 2004 and 2014. The growth of the creative economy is propelled by three interrelated forces: technology, talent, and tolerance." Chronicle of Higher Education (September 15, 2006) B6.]

[Request #S64511]

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EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education. By the U.S. Secretary of Education's Commission on Higher Education. (U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC) 62 p.

Full Text at: www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/pre-pub-report.pdf

["The Commission criticized the current system's inability to track whether or not students are actually learning. The report called on public universities to administer standardized tests like the Collegiate Learning Assessment or the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress to measure student learning. The plan also highlighted the need to simplify the financial aid application process by partnering with states to use existing income and tax data to help students complete the applications more quickly." University Wire (October 3, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64512]

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Cooperative Agreement Between Google, Inc. and the Regents of the University of California on Behalf of its California Digital Library. (The Library, Oakland, California) August 2006. 13 p.

["A mere two months after the University of California begins its book-digitization project with Google, the university may provide the search company with a whopping 3,000 books a day for scanning.... Both the university and Google will get digital copies of the scanned works, but there are some restrictions on how the university can use its copies.... Entire works not covered under copyright can be distributed to scholars and students for research purposes, but there are limits on in-copyright material." Chronicle of Higher Education (August 25, 2006) 1.]

Press Release. Various pagings.
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2006/aug09.html

Contract. Various pagings.
http://www.cdlib.org/news/ucgoogle_cooperative_agreement.pdf

[Request #S64513]

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Giving Kids the Chaff: How To Find and Keep the Teachers We Need. By Marie Gryphon, The Cato Institute. Policy Analysis, No. 579. (The Institute, Washington, DC) September 25, 2006. 16 p.

Full Text at: www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa579.pdf

["The study reveals serious flaws in the teacher training, selection, and retention practices of monopolistic state school systems, and argues that market-driven personnel policies produce a far superior alternative to the status quo. In public schools, 'teachers are chosen and compensated on the basis of criteria set by teachers' unions and other entrenched interests. Because those criteria do not focus on the qualities that define good teachers, they often favor less-qualified applicants over applicants whose skills could dramatically improve educational outcomes for their students.' Give parents school choice, and give schools the autonomy and incentives they need to hire the best teachers, the study recommends." US Newswire (September 25, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64514]

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EMPLOYMENT

LABOR UNION

Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. and International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, AFL–CIO. National Labor Relations Board. 7–RC–22141. Decision on Review and Order. September 29, 2006.

["In a decision with wide-ranging implications for millions of union workers nationwide, the board has ruled that, in most cases, nurses with minimal managerial duties can be considered supervisors and are therefore ineligible for union membership. The 3-2 ruling is broad enough to set a precedent for industries other than health care and was immediately assailed by labor experts and union organizers, who said it could deprive millions of American workers of the right to join a union.... The ruling's exact implications are somewhat murky because it shifts power to individual employers, who may or may not decide to reclassify their workers as supervisors.... The case is likely to be appealed and ultimately could reach the Supreme Court." Sacramento Bee (October 4, 2006) 1.]

Decision. Various pagings.
http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/shared_files/decisions/348/348-37.htm

Press Release. Various pagings.
http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/press/releases/r2603.htm

[Request #S64515]

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ENERGY

ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

Order Conditionally Accepting the California Independent System Operator's Electric Tariff Filing to Reflect Market Redesign and Technology Upgrade. By the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (The Commission, Washington, DC) September 20, 2006.

["No more 11th-hour scrambling for power. The rules give the Independent System Operator, a quasi-state agency that runs the power grid, the ability to buy electricity and make other adjustments in power flow a day before it's needed. Since its inception, the ISO has labored under a major handicap: it had to wait until the last minute before it could buy the electricity needed to smooth out the ebbs and flows of California's power demands. This led to major problems during the energy crisis of 2000-01. The ISO was forced to beg for huge gobs of power -- as much as 30 percent of what was needed -- literally minutes before it was used." Sacramento Bee (September 22, 2006) D1.]

Decision E-1. 391 p.
http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/comm-meet/092106/E-1.pdf

News Release. 4 p.
http://www.ferc.gov/press-room/press-releases/2006/2006-3/09-21-06-E-1.pdf

Fact Sheet. 5 p.
http://www.ferc.gov/press-room/press-releases/2006/2006-3/09-21-06-E-1-fact-sheet.pdf

[Request #S64516]

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Residential Customer Response to Real-Time Pricing: The Anaheim Critical-Peak Pricing Experiment. By Frank Wolak, Department of Economics, Stanford University. (University of California Center for the Study of Energy Markets, Berkeley, California) 2006. 50 p.

Full Text at: www.ucei.berkeley.edu/PDF/csemwp151.pdf

["Those responsible for managing California’s electricity market are still looking for ways to handle hot summer days without declaring emergencies. One possibility is to offer residential consumers a financial incentive to reduce their electricity consumption on those critical afternoons. A California utility recently tested this option and found that customers did significantly reduce their electricity usage, when offered a rebate to do so, on those hot summer afternoons." CSEM Research Review (Fall 2006) 2.]

[Request #S64517]

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Nuclear Energy: Status of DOE's Effort to Develop the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. By the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-06-1056. (The Office, Washington, DC) September 2006. 34 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d061056.pdf

["In 2003, DOE began developing the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, an advanced nuclear reactor that seeks to improve upon the current generation of operating commercial nuclear power plants. DOE intends to demonstrate the plant's commercial application both for generating electricity and for using process heat from the reactor for the production of hydrogen, which then would be used in fuel cells for the transportation sector. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required plant design and construction to be completed by 2021. GAO was asked to examine 1) the progress DOE has made in meeting its schedule for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant and 2) DOE's approach to ensuring the commercial viability of the project."]

[Request #S64518]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

ENDANGERED SPECIES

Endangered Species: Many Factors Affect the Length of Time to Recover Select Species. By U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-06-730. (The Office, Washington, DC) September 2006. 77 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d06730.pdf

["Proposed amendments to the act are under consideration and GAO was asked to provide information to facilitate this effort. In April 2006, GAO issued a report providing high-level information on the extent to which recovery plans contain estimates of when species are expected to be recovered, among other things. This follow-on report provides more detailed information on the factors that affect species recovery and the importance of recovery plans in recovery efforts. GAO 1) identifies factors affecting the length of time to recover the species and 2) describes the role recovery plans have played in recovering these species."]

[Request #S64519]

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CALFED Levee Stability Program, California: Report to Congress on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Strategy for Action. By the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (The Corps, Sacramento, California ) 2006.

["Federal legislators directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District to identify and prioritize potential levee stability projects in the Delta and to devise a strategy for spending an authorized $90 million within the next five years.... Corps officials evaluated and prioritized the proposals received from Delta-area interests based on Corps authorities and CALFED Levee System Integrity Program objectives. Those objectives include improving Delta levees to reduce flood damage and to protect water quality and supply." USACE Announcement (September 15, 2006) 1.]

Report. 24 p.
http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-pao/delta/delta_reports/Delta%20Report%20to%20Congress%20FINAL%20Aug%2006.pdf

Executive Summary. 1 p.
http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-pao/delta/delta_reports/FinalDraftExecSum.pdf

[Request #S64520]

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This Is Smart Growth. By Dan Emerine, International City/County Management Association, and others. (Smart Growth Network, Washington, DC) September 2006. 32 p.

Full Text at: www.smartgrowthonlineaudio.org/pdf/TISG_2006_8-5x11.pdf

["The report explores and illustrates smart growth concepts and outcomes. It describes how, when done well, development can help create more economic opportunities, build great places where people want to live and visit, preserve the qualities people love about their communities, and protect environmental resources." TRB Newsletter (September 12, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64521]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

AUDITS AND INVESTIGATIONS

Report Regarding Activities of California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. By the Office of Inspector General, Legal Services Corporation. Presented to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, U.S. House of Representatives. (The Office, Washington, DC) September 14, 2006. 42 p.

Full Text at: www.oig.lsc.gov/reports/0603/crla0603.pdf

["California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) apparently 'violated federal law' by getting entangled in politics and chasing after clients, federal investigators conclude in a scathing new audit. The new report relies on an internal CRLA whistle-blower. The whistle-blower complained that lawyers were being pressured to take on 'impact work' affecting large populations, leaving little time for average clients." Sacramento Bee (September 15, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64522]

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527 Activity Surges in the States. By Lindsay Renick Mayer, Center for Responsive Politics. (The Center, Washington, DC) September 2006. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?id=231&format=print

["Tax-exempt political advocacy groups, known as 527s, are investing growing amounts of money on state-level races and issues this election year in a shift away from topics affecting all 50 states, the latest financial figures show. The report shows that more state-focused 527s are popping up and that they are spending more money in 2006 than in 2004, when groups such as Swift Boat Vets and MoveOn.org made headlines with attempts to sway the presidential race." Stateline.org (September 28, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64523]

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The Real ID Act: National Impact Analysis. By National Conference of State Legislatures. (The Conference, Denver, Colorado) 2006. 60 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/print/statefed/Real_ID_Impact_Report_FINAL_Sept19.pdf

["The Real ID Act, which sets national standards for driver's licenses and identification cards starting in May 2008, will cost the states at least $11 billion over the next five years, according to a new report.... The law will have a huge impact on California, home to 25 million licensed drivers and ID-card holders. Officials estimate it will cost the state $500 million to $700 million to comply with the act.... It also poses a major hassle for drivers, who will need to renew their licenses in person within five years of the law's taking effect. They will have to produce a birth certificate and other identification to get a Real ID Act-compliant license, which will be required to board planes and to enter federal buildings and other facilities." Riverside Press (September 21, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64524]

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Eileen Garcia, et al. vs. City of Laguna Beach, et al. Orange County Superior Court. 06-CC-10595. Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief. October 3, 2006. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2006/Laguna.Complaint.10.3.06.pdf

[“A conservative advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Laguna Beach, alleging the city is violating federal law by helping undocumented workers find jobs. In the Laguna Beach suit, [the plaintiffs] allege the city is violating federal law by spending public funds to operate the Laguna Day Worker Center on Laguna Canyon Road, where mostly Spanish-speaking workers, among them illegal immigrants, find jobs and get English language instruction. The lawsuit asks a judge to halt the city's funding of the center.” Los Angeles Times (October 4, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64525]

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HEALTH

HEALTH CARE FINANCING

Managing the Costs of Health Care Coverage: Emerging Practices Among Public-Sector Employers. By Cindy Gentry and others, Mercer Health and Benefits. Prepared for the California HealthCare Foundation. AND Benefits in the Balance: The Uncertain Future of Public Retiree Health Coverage. By Katherine B. Wilson, California Healthcare Foundation. (The Foundation, Oakland, California) 2006.

[“Local governments and school districts in California face rapidly rising retiree health care costs for their employees. Beginning in 2007, a new government accounting standard will be phased in, requiring public agencies to estimate and report the cost of future retiree benefits, and drawing increased attention to retiree health care spending. Most public agencies do not set aside funds to pay for health coverage promised to employees when they retire. Instead, each year they pay only for existing retirees as bills come due. An aging workforce, increased life expectancy, and health cost inflation are among the factors driving up the costs of these benefits, raising questions about whether this approach can be sustained over the long term.” Business Wire (September 26, 2006) 1.]

Managing the Costs of Health Care Coverage. 16 p.
http://www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/EmergingPracticesPublicEmployers.pdf

Benefits in the Balance. 21 p.
http://www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/PublicRetireeHealthCoverage.pdf

Data Tables and Illustrative Examples. 6 p.
http://www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/RetireeHealthExpensesDataTablesIllustrative.pdf

[Request #S64526]

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Health Coverage and Access to Care for Hispanics in "New Growth Communities" and "Major Hispanic Centers." By Peter Cunningham, Center for Studying Health System Change, and others. (The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Washington, DC) September 2006. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/7551.pdf

["Hispanics are more likely than other groups to encounter problems accessing timely and necessary health care. While the overwhelming majority of Hispanics work, they are much less likely than other groups to have health coverage because a large number of recent immigrants are employed in low-wage jobs that do not offer such benefits.... The problem ... is made worse by a shift in the nation's Hispanic population from large urban centers to smaller, rural towns that until recently had no or few Spanish-speaking residents. Communities that have little experience in caring for Hispanics may be less prepared to meet their health needs." HearldToday.com (September 22, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64527]

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Squeezed: Why Rising Exposure to Health Care Costs Threatens the Health and Financial Well-Being of American Families. By Sara R. Collins and others, The Commonwealth Fund. (The Fund, New York, New York) September 2006. 46 p.

Full Text at: www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/Collins_squeezedrisinghltcarecosts_953.pdf

["Individual health insurance -- often touted as an alternative to employer-based group coverage -- may be an option for the healthiest and wealthiest. But a study suggests that the poor and sick need not apply. The overwhelming majority -- 89% -- of working-age adults who shopped for health coverage in the individual market over the last three years were rejected for health reasons or found it too expensive.... The study found that more than a third of adults with individual insurance had to spend $1,000 out of pocket each year before coverage kicked in. More than half of those with individual insurance pay at least $3,000 a year in premiums and about a third pay $6,000 or more." Los Angeles Times (September 14, 2006) C1.]

[Request #S64528]

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Financial Innovations Lab Report for Accelerating Medical Solutions. By Glenn Yago and others, Milken Institute. (The Institute, Santa Monica, California) October 2006. 42 p.

Full Text at: www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/fin_innov_vol2.pdf

["Public and private funding in biomedical research has declined; a trend that could jeopardize efforts to find improved treatments for people with life-threatening illnesses. A new report demonstrates that innovative financial tools can lower investor risk and increase the flow of capital to research. The current shortage of drug development capital can be resolved through public-private partnerships. New financial tools and incentives can increase funding for research and help improve global health." Business Wire (October 12, 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64529]

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HUMAN SERVICES

FAMILIES

What Do We Know About Couples and Marriage in Disadvantaged Populations? Reflections from a Researcher and a Policy Analyst. By David Fein, Abt Associates Inc. and Theodora Ooms, Center for Law and Social Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2006. 37 p.

Full Text at: www.clasp.org/publications/couples_marriage_disadvantaged.pdf

["A researcher and a policy analyst examine recent research on couples and marriage through the lens of economic disadvantage to find out implications for program design and policy. It turns out that we know a lot more than we did a decade ago, but there's still much to learn.... Any strategies or program interventions need to take into account the wide array of external forces that can impinge on intimate relationships, and the potential for external stressors to have strong effects on disadvantaged couples."]

[Request #S64531]

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Paternity Disestablishment in 2006. By Paula Roberts, Center for Law and Social Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2006. 18 p.

Full Text at: www.clasp.org/publications/pat_disest_2006.pdf

["This is the latest update on developments in the area of paternity disestablishment. This piece also contains a detailed discussion of issues emerging as parents who have established parentage through the voluntary acknowledgment process attempt to disestablish paternity through the use of genetic testing."]

[Request #S64533]

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Corporation for National and Community Service: Strategic Plan: 2006-2010. By the Corporation for National and Community Service. (The Corporation, Washington, DC) 2006. 38 p.

Full Text at: www.nationalservice.org/pdf/strategic_plan_web.pdf

["We have identified four cross-program priorities to focus on over the next five years.... These areas of focus are sufficiently broad to encompass State Commissions, State Education Agencies, national nonprofits, volunteer connector organizations, local communities and other partners working within their own priorities.... The areas are: 1) mobilizing more volunteers, 2) ensuring a brighter future for all of America’s youth, 3) engaging students in communities, and 4) harnessing baby boomers’ experience."]

[Request #S64534]

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Opportunities in America [Issue Theme.] IN: The Future of Children, vol. 16. no. 2. Fall 2006.

["Does the dominant set of beliefs about America as a land of opportunity comport with reality? This volume reviews evidence on how close the nation has come to this ideal and what might be done to improve opportunity.... Mobility in the U.S. is not as high as it is in other rich countries. It takes about five generations for the effects of one’s family background to disappear. Immigrants to the U.S. have done very well and usually catch up to the native-born in a generation or two. For them, America is the land of opportunity."]

Summary. 2 p.:
http://www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/Opportunity_Summary.pdf

Issue. 199 p.:
http://www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/Volume_16_Number_2_Fall_2006.pdf

[Request #S64535]

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TRANSPORTATION

PORTS & SHIPPING

Port and Supply-Chain Security Initiatives in the United States and Abroad. By Leigh B. Boske, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, and others. Prepared for the Congressional Research Service. (The University, Austin, Texas) 2006. 238 p.

Full Text at: www.utexas.edu/lbj/pubs/pdf/prp_150.pdf

["Public officials must walk a fine line in devising methods that simultaneously secure ports and facilitate trade. Promoting both requires the examination of global supply chains. Cargo container movements, between points of origin and their ultimate destinations, are characterized by complex interactions among multiple actors, industries, regulatory agencies, modes of transportation, operating systems and legal frameworks. This report examines various institutional, legal, and policy arrangements that have been established in the United States and overseas to enhance worldwide port and supply chain security."]

[Request #S64536]

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[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

CAMPAIGN FINANCING

Financing the 2004 Election. By David B. Magleby and others. (Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC) September 2006. 281 p.

["The authors examine costs and trends of campaign finance in the US, paying special attention to the effects of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002. They contrast current campaign financing with pre-BCRA patterns, drawing lessons from 2004 for future reform at state and federal levels." Publisher's Announcement (September 2006) 1.]

[Request #S64537]

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HEALTH

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The Future of Drug Safety: Promoting and Protecting the Health of the Public. By the Committee on the Assessment of the U.S. Drug Safety System, Institute of Medicine. (National Academies Press, Washington, DC) September 2006. 360 p.

Full Text at: www.nap.edu/catalog/11750.html%20web%20site%20to%20order%20book#toc

["A prestigious advisory group has put its weight behind criticism that the Food and Drug Administration is pitifully weak when it comes to removing dangerous prescription drugs from the market.... The institute's report, which was requested by the F.D.A., deplores the big imbalance between the money and staff devoted to approving new drugs and the much smaller resources for monitoring drugs after they are on the market. The imbalance results in part from the pharmaceutical industry's providing user fees that pay for expediting the approval process, but not for monitoring the aftereffects. Worse yet, even when it spots a problem, the agency has very little power to regulate drugs on the market unless there is overwhelming evidence that they are unsafe, which is seldom the case." New York Times (September 28, 2006) A22.]

[Request #S64538]

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