This month Paul Jenks provides an inside view of the most visible and widely recognized function of Congress: the hearing, for which he identifies three distinctive types: informational hearings, oversight or investigative hearings, and confirmation hearing.
Peggy Garvin reviews the new searchable catalog of current and historical federal congressional, executive, and judicial publications that are in print, electronic, and other formats.
Scott A. Hodes reminds us why the goal of Sunshine Week, which is to elevate the public’s awareness on the importance of governmental disclosure laws, is one that has become increasingly important to pursue every week, year round.
Brett Burney recommends the new Treo 700w to those who prefer the Windows Mobile OS to that offered by Palm. He also talks about free and low cost firewall and and antivirus programs, as well as how to secure your Wi-Fi network at home and on the road. Last but not least, Brett heralds a free, easy to use back-up system for your PC.
Ken Strutin’s series of articles on Criminal Justice Resources continues with this extensive bibliography that includes: Foreign Language Publications & Websites; Directories and Services; Deaf and Hard of Hearing Resources; Ethics and Standards; Federal and State Court Interpreter Programs and Reference Sources.
Beth Wellington discusses the divergent positions of key organizations and groups on the regulatory and legislative controversy over Internet free speech, campaign finance reform, and blogging. She provides links to legislation, news releases, government documents and blog postings on the issue.
Paul Jenks continues his discussion of an earmark, which is the specific direction of funding for a specific project within the appropriations or authorization bill. His explanation of this rather complex issue will serve you well as you learn more about legislative research and legislative history.
Paul Jenks discusses the primary method by which Members of Congress and Senators deliver the bacon home to their constituents.
Conrad J. Jacoby addresses the standards for the admissibility of electronic evidence, which as he documents, remain unsettled and open to significant variation.
Scott A. Hodes comments on the role of Chief FOIA Officers, a position recently mandated for all agencies by Executive Order 13392.