Government News for Montana

Government News Has Moved

2011-10-14T10:21:00.002-06:00

Government News has moved to http://montanagovinfo.blogspot.com/ .
This page will no longer be updated

Banking/ Jones Act

2011-08-24T09:45:00.003-06:00

Banking

From the New York Times: “The number of banks on the government's list of institutions most at risk for failure fell in the second quarter, the first drop since before the financial crisis began.”

Quarterly Banking Profile- Second Quarter
The Quarterly Banking Profile is a quarterly publication that provides the earliest comprehensive summary of financial results for all FDIC-insured institutions”- FDIC

From the New York Times: “The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the Federal Reserve weigh the systemic risk of the combined company.”

Dodd-Frank Act

Jones Act

From the New York Times: “In its hurry to transport millions of barrels of oil from federal stockpiles to stabilize world oil prices earlier this summer, the Obama administration has repeatedly bypassed federal law by allowing nearly all the oil to move on foreign-owned vessels, drawing protests from domestic maritime operators.”

Congressional Research Service Report RS21566 The Jones Act: An Overview

U.S.C. TITLE 46, APPENDIX App. > CHAPTER 24 > § 883 Transportation of merchandise between points in United States in other than domestic built or rebuilt and documented vessels; incineration of hazardous waste at sea

Fire

From the Missoulian: "Pushed by heavy winds late Monday, the Saddle fire in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness grew by almost 10,000 acres in a day."

Montana Incident Information

NASA

NASA'S Wise Mission Discovers Coolest Class of Stars

FDA

2011-08-23T09:59:00.001-06:00

From the New York Times: “The landmark food safety law passed by Congress last December is supposed to reduce the frequency and severity of food safety problems, but the roll call of recent cases underlines the magnitude of the task.”

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

Cloud Computing

2011-08-22T09:23:00.001-06:00

From the New York Times: “Before cost-cutting became fashionable in Washington, Vivek Kundra, the White House’s chief information officer, was working to shrink the federal government’s enormous budget for information technology.”

U.S. Chief Information Officer: Federal Cloud Computing Strategy

2011-08-19T09:59:00.002-06:00

National Archives/ Security Exchange Commission

From the New York Times: “More than a year after a whistle-blower said that the Securities and Exchange Commission was illegally destroying records of preliminary investigations, the commission has yet to agree with government archivists on which records to keep and which to discard.”

National Archives SEC Statement
“In July 2010, the National Archives contacted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding an allegation that the SEC had been destroying files pertaining to Matters Under Inquiry (MUI) for the past 17 years.”

National Institutes of Health

NIH-commissioned study identifies gaps in NIH funding success rates for black researchers “Black applicants from 2000-2006 were 10 percentage points less likely than white applicants to be awarded research project grants from the National Institutes of Health after controlling for factors that influence the likelihood of a grant award, according to an NIH-commissioned study in the journal Science.”

Syria

Statement by President Obama on the Situation in Syria
“The United States opposes the use of violence against peaceful protesters in Syria, and we support the universal rights of the Syrian people. We have imposed sanctions on President Assad and his government."

Space Exploration

2011-08-18T09:12:00.001-06:00

DARPA Encourages Individuals and Organizations to Look to the Stars; Issues Call for Papers for 100 Year Starship Study Public Symposium

Taxes

2011-08-16T10:48:00.000-06:00

From the New York Times: “Based on projections by the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Budget Office and the Treasury, the tax increase on all three fronts would generate as much as $500 billion in new revenue over the next decade — about a third of what the Congressional committee is supposed to cut from the deficit.”

Reducing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options
“Federal revenues come from taxes on individual and corporate income, payroll taxes for social insurance programs (such as Social Security and unemployment compensation), excise taxes, estate and gift taxes, remittances from the Federal Reserve System, customs duties, and miscellaneous fees and fines. The two largest sources are individual income taxes and social insurance taxes, which together produce more than 80 percent of the government's revenues.” - Congressional Budget Office

8/15/11

2011-08-15T09:19:00.000-06:00

InciWeb Montana- Information on fires in Montana

Missoulian- Crews fight 23-acre wildfire west of Seeley, 2 smaller fires near Sula

8/12/11

2011-08-12T10:30:00.003-06:00

Agriculture

New York Times- Crop Yield Raises Risk To Food Cost Consumers can expect to see a jump in prices for pasta, meat, vegetable oil and many other grocery items in the coming months as a pair of new government reports forecast on Thursday that a brutal mixture of heat, drought or flooding has taken a toll on the corn, soybeans and wheat grown on American farms.

USDA -National Monthly Average Market Prices to Date and Market Year Average

Jobs

Bureau of Labor Statistics- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
“There were 3.1 million job openings on the last business day of June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1percent) and separations rate (3.1 percent) were
again little changed over the month.”

Environment

Environmental Protection Agency- Imprelis and Investigation of Damage to Trees
“The Environmental Protection Agency has received reports from numerous states that E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company's (DuPont) herbicide, Imprelis, which contains the active ingredient aminocyclopyrachlor, may be causing injury to certain species of evergreen trees, particularly Norway spruce and white pine”

8/11/11

2011-08-11T10:39:00.002-06:00

Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

From the New York Times: The top Republicans in the House and the Senate appointed six lawmakers on Wednesday to a powerful new Congressional committee that is supposed to find ways to reduce federal budget deficits by at least $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

S.1501 -- To require the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to conduct the business of the Committee in a manner that is open to the public. (Introduced in Senate - IS)

House Report 112-190 - PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (S. 365) TO MAKE A TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO THE EDUCATION SCIENCES REFORM ACT OF 2002

Natural Gas/Oil

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Subcommittee Releases Shale Gas Recommendations
From the Department of Energy: "A diverse group of advisors to Energy Secretary Steven Chu today released a series of consensus-based recommendations calling for increased measurement, public disclosure and a commitment to continuous improvement in the development and environmental management of shale gas, which has rapidly grown to nearly 30 percent of natural gas production in the United States."

From the EPA: Hydraulic Fracturing
"HF is used by gas producers to stimulate wells and recover natural gas from sources such as coalbeds and shale gas formations. HF is also used for other applications including oil recovery."

August 10, 2011

2011-08-10T11:21:00.007-06:00

Economics

Federal Reserve Press Release
“Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that economic growth so far this year has been considerably slower than the Committee had expected. Indicators suggest a deterioration in overall labor market conditions in recent months, and the unemployment rate has moved up. Household spending has flattened out, investment in nonresidential structures is still weak, and the housing sector remains depressed. However, business investment in equipment and software continues to expand…More recently, inflation has moderated as prices of energy and some commodities have declined from their earlier peaks. Longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable.”

U.S. ECONOMIC STATISTICS - MONTHLY DATA

From the New York Times “The productivity of workers dropped from April through June for the second consecutive quarter, leading to an increase in labor costs that may restrain gains in profits.”

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Productivity and Costs, Second Quarter 2011, Preliminary Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased at a 0.3 percent annual rate during the second quarter of 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, with output and hours worked rising 1.8 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively.

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Summary
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 117,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, retail trade, manufacturing, and mining. Government employment continued to trend down.

From the New York Times “Three days after Treasury Department officials discovered what they called a mistake in the assumptions used by Standard & Poor's to justify the downgrade of United States debt, the president of S.& P. wrote to securities regulators saying that ratings agencies should not be required to publicly disclose all errors in their calculations.”

From the U.S. Department of the Treasury In a document provided to Treasury on Friday afternoon, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) presented a judgment about the credit rating of the U.S. that was based on a $2 trillion mistake.

From the Securities Exchange Commission “This landmark legislation set out to reshape the U.S. regulatory landscape, reduce systemic risk and help restore confidence in the financial system. . . . [W]e are continuing to work diligently to implement all of the provisions of the Act for which we have responsibility — even as we continue to perform our longstanding core responsibilities.”
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Environment

From the Environmental Protection Agency White House Announces First Ever Oil Savings Standards for Heavy Duty Trucks, Buses/Saving $50 billion in fuel costs and over 500 million barrels of oil “Today, President Obama will meet with industry officials to discuss the first-of-their-kind fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas pollution standards for work trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles and to thank them for their leadership in finalizing a successful national program for these vehicles.”

From the U.S. Department of Transportation CAFE - Fuel Economy “In response to the President’s direction to NHTSA and EPA in his May 21, 2010, memo, the agencies are establishing the first-ever National Program to regulate fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions for MYs 2014-2018 medium- and heavy-duty trucks, covering vehicles from ¾-ton pickups and vans to delivery and utility trucks to big-rig combination tractors.” (includes rule and analysis)

On Hiatus

2011-02-18T17:22:00.003-07:00

Due to the departure of the primary blog author from The University of Montana, Government News for Montana will be going on a long-term hiatus. Final disposition of the blog will be determined in Fall 2011.

Thank you for reading.

DoD Recommendation on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

2010-12-02T14:14:00.004-07:00

From the Defense Department press release: "The military can deal effectively with allowing openly gay servicemembers in its ranks, leaders of a working group that studied the issue for the Defense Department told the Senate Armed Services Committee today."

The Department of Defense website has numerous reports relating to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This includes the new "Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'," a support plan for implementation, and findings from the surveys.

The Senate Armed Services Committee website has information about today's hearing.

Source: Memmott, M. (2 Dec. 2010). "At 'Don't Ask' Hearing: McCain Is Critical Of Report, Mullen Pushes For Repeal." NPR.

Debt Reduction Report

2010-12-02T14:07:00.002-07:00

From the New York Times: "Members of President Obama's debt-reduction commission indicated on Wednesday that they were split over their chairmen's far-reaching plan for long-term spending cuts and tax increases, a development that suggests the proposal is more likely to be a framework for next year's debates than the basis for legislation anytime soon."

The final report of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, "The Moment of Truth," is on the commission website.

Source: Calmes, J. (1 Dec. 2010). "As Final Debt Plan Is Released, Signs That the Fight Is Just Beginning." New York Times.

Davis 5 Prescribed Burn - Escaped Fire Review

2010-11-23T17:19:00.004-07:00

From the AP: "Deficiencies in the burn plan, disregard for a changing weather forecast and leaving little room for error may have contributed to a prescribed burn this summer that turned into a wildfire, according to a U.S. Forest Service review released Monday."

The Helena National Forest website has the summary report and full report reviewing the Davis 5 Prescribed Burn/Escaped Fire.

Source: Volz, M., Associated Press (22 Nov. 2010). "Report: Burn plan deficient, weather forecast disregarded in Helena wildfire." Missoulian.

Montana Medicaid Part D Waiver Prescription Drug Program

2010-11-17T16:38:00.004-07:00

From the Missoulian: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer asked the federal government Tuesday to approve his proposal for Montana residents to buy prescription drugs through the government program Medicaid, potentially saving millions of dollars a year in drug costs.'

The Governor's press release summarizes the issue. More detailed information on the Montana Medicaid Part D Waiver Prescription Drug Program can be found on the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) website. Comments are welcome through December 20, 2010, to:
Dan Peterson, Acute Services Bureau Chief, DPHHS
PO Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604-4210
(406) 444-4144
danpeterson@mt.gov

Source: Dennison, M. (17 Nov. 2010). "Schweitzer asks federal government to allow Medicaid prescriptions for all Montanans." Missoulian.

Governor Schweitzer's 2012-2013 Proposed Budget

2010-11-17T16:35:00.002-07:00

From the Missoulian: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer's proposed budget relies heavily on $95 million worth of money transferred from other funds to beef up the state's general fund and balance his spending plan for the next two years."

The Governor's 2012-2013 State Budget is on the State of Montana website.

Source: Johnson, C.S. (17 Nov. 2010). "Montana budget plan relies on $95M in transfers from other state funds." Missoulian. A1.

Debt Commission Proposal

2010-11-11T22:40:00.002-07:00

From the Washington Post: "The chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan deficit commission on Wednesday offered an aggressive plan to rebalance the federal budget by curbing increases in Social Security benefits, slashing spending at the Pentagon and other agencies, and wiping out more than $100 billion a year in popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses."

FiscalCommission.gov is the primary source for the work of the bipartisan "Debt Commission." This includes the recent summary proposal for reducing the debt.

Source: Montgomery, L. (11 Nov. 2010). "Deficit panel leaders propose curbs on Social Security, major cuts in spending, tax breaks." Washington Post.

Personal Income Estimates for MSAs

2010-09-07T13:21:00.003-06:00

From the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) press release: "Personal income declined in 2009 in most of the nation's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income declined in 223 MSAs, increased in 134, and remained unchanged in 9 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income fell 1.8 percent in 2009, after rising 2.7 percent in 2008. Personal income growth ranged from 14 percent in Jacksonville, North Carolina to -7.1 percent in Naples, Florida. Inflation, as measured by the national price index for personal consumption expenditures, declined to 0.2 percent in 2009 from 3.3 percent in 2008."

The BEA, part of the Department of Commerce, has released the new personal income estimates for metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). MSAs in Montana include areas like Billings, Missoula, and Great Falls.

Source: Cohen, B. (6 Sept. 2010). "Personal income in Billings drops 1.9%." Billings Gazette.

Infrastructure Renewal and Expansion Plan

2010-09-07T13:08:00.003-06:00

From the New York Times: "A combative President Barack Obama rolled out a long-term jobs program Monday that would exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways, and coupled it with a blunt campaign-season assault on Republicans for causing Americans' hard economic times."

The White House website has a fact sheet on the proposed infrastructure expansion and renewal plan: Renewing and Expanding America's Roads, Railways, and Runways.

Source: Pace, J., Associated Press (6 Sept. 2010). "Obama to Call for $50 Billion Spending for Infrastructure." New York Times.

Yellowstone Bear Attack Report

2010-08-17T11:15:00.002-06:00

From the Missoulian: "Hunger and internal parasites afflicted a grizzly bear that mauled three campers near Yellowstone National Park, but investigators said Monday those factors failed to explain such aggressive predatory behavior."

You can access the 70-page Soda Butte Campground Attacks Investigation Team Report on the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Recovery website.

Source: Brown, M. (17 Aug. 2010). "Grizzly that killed camper near Yellowstone Park was sick, stressed." Missoulian. B2.

Smith River Recreation Regulations

2010-08-17T11:04:00.002-06:00

From the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) press release: "Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on changes to the biennial rule for Smith River State Park and River Corridor.

"The proposed changes reflect the state park's recently updated management plan that provides guidance for managing visitor use on the 59-mile section of river from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. The plan was adopted in July of 2009 and reflects input from a citizen advisory committee and the public at five open houses, along with comments received during a 45-day public comment period."

The Montana FWP website has the proposed Smith River Biennial Rule. Comments are due by September 24 and can be e-mailed (smithrulecomments@mt.gov) or mailed (Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Attn: Smith River Biennial Rule Comments, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701).

The FWP site has additional information on floating the Smith River.

Source: Gouras, M., AP (16 Aug. 2010). "Smith River floaters likely to face new rules." Missoulian.

North Fork Bill

2010-08-06T08:51:00.003-06:00

From the Missoulian: "A measure that would ban federal-land mining along Glacier National Park's western edge has passed a major Senate hurdle, and has been expanded to provide water-quality protections for nearby communities."

You can find more about the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, S. 3075, via THOMAS. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing about the bill on April 28th, and Senators Baucus and Tester testified with other witnesses. Senator Tester's website has more information about the latest action on the bill.

Source: Jamison, M. (6 Aug. 2010). "Mining ban on North Fork federal lands clears Senate committee." Missoulian.

Obesity in the U.S.

2010-08-04T09:59:00.002-06:00

From NPR: "Not a single state has met national goals set more than a decade ago to reduce obesity to 15 percent of the population. In fact, the problem is growing. In nine states now, one out of every three adults is obese. And it's fair to say the rest of the nation isn't far behind those states."

You can find the new CDC Vital Signs report on adult obesity online. The related Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article, "State-Specific Obesity Prevalence Among Adults – United States, 2009," has more in-depth information. A CDC press release summarizes key points in the report.

Source: Neighmond, P. (4 Aug. 2010). "CDC: Obesity Is A 'Major Public Health Threat'." NPR.

Smoky Again in Montana

2010-08-04T09:50:00.003-06:00

From the Missoulian: "Wet, cool weather over the weekend helped crews contain several wildfires burning in western Montana, but the Packer Meadows blaze continues to cause trouble."

Where's that smoke coming from? In many cases, the smoke people see in Montana's skies is not coming from wildfires in Montana. For a definitive answer, use the Montana Department of Environmental Quality wildfire smoke updates. The daily smoke update reports air quality in the state and typically tells you where the smoke is coming from (today, from fires in British Columbia).

For updates on the Packer Meadows fire and other wildfires, visit InciWeb. The Forest Service Remote Mapping Applications Center gives you a visual overview of wildfires in the U.S.

Source: Chaney, R. (3 Aug. 2010). "Cool weather calms western Montana wildfires." Missoulian.