Blackwater Report

From the New York Times: "Separately, a new study issued Thursday by Mr. Waxman's oversight committee was highly critical of the company’s performance in a 2004 case in which four Blackwater contractors were killed in the restive Anbar Province city of Falluja. The committee concluded that witness accounts and investigative reports conflicted with Blackwater's assertion that its contractors had been sent to Falluja 'with sufficient preparation and equipment.'"

The new report, "Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater's Actions in Fallujah," is available on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform website. The web page on the report summarizes the issue and links to an earlier hearing.

Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte's statement on Blackwater is on the State Department website.

Source: Risen, J. (28 Sept. 2007). "State Dept. Tallies 56 Shootings Involving Blackwater on Diplomatic Guard Duty." New York Times.

Border Security Report

From the Billings Gazette: "The GAO probe focused on security lapses along the U.S. border between regular checkpoints, areas the agency called 'unmanned and unmonitored.' GAO investigators visited four locations along the Canadian border and three along the Mexican border and simulated the smuggling of radioactive material."

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on September 28th, "Border Insecurity, Take Three: Open and Unmonitored." The prepared testimony for the hearing and member statements are on the web page for the hearing. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, "Border Security: Security Vulnerabilities at Unmanned and Unmonitored U.S. Border Locations," is available on the GAO website.

Source: Straub, N. (28 Sept. 2007). "GAO: Northern border has security gaps." Billings Gazette.

CHIP Reauthorization

From the Billings Gazette: "An expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the only major piece of health care legislation to pass Congress this year, now heads to President Bush's desk for a possible veto after the Senate approved it Thursday."

The Senate approved bill H.R. 976, the "Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007," with roll call vote 353. The House approved amendments to the bill on September 25th with roll call vote 906. All members of Montana's delegation to Congress voted to approve the bill.

Source: Straub, N. (28 Sept. 2007). "Senate sends SCHIP bill to Bush's desk: Over 5 years, bill would add 3.3M children to program, increase spending by $35B." Billings Gazette.

Montana Forests Restoration Principles

From the Missoulian: "For months, a diverse group of conservationists, timber industry officials, forest users and government leaders met in an effort designed to stem the tide of lawsuits filed against forest restoration projects.

"Finally, on Thursday, the group announced a set of 13 principles that might guide future restoration work on the Bitterroot and Lolo national forests."

The restoration principles have been posted on the Restoring Montana's Forests website. The site includes an implementation plan.

Source: Moore, M. (28 Sept. 2007). "Forest parties reach consensus on restoration principles." Missoulian. A1.

"World Heritage in Danger" Listing for Glacier NP

From Senator Tester's press release: "As part of their ongoing efforts to stop mining and drilling proposals on the Montana-Canada border, Montana's U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today urged top U.S. officials to add Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park to the 'List of World Heritage in Danger'."

The press release includes the text of the letter sent by Senators Baucus and Tester to Secretary of the Interior Kempthorne and Secretary of State Rice.

Information about World Heritage sites, including Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, is available on the UNESCO website. The UNESCO site also includes information on World Heritage in Danger listings.

Source: Associated Press (27 Sept. 2007). "Senators push for Glacier designation to stop mining." Billings Gazette.

Mayfield v. U.S.A.

From the Washington Post: "In a case brought by a Portland man who was wrongly detained as a terrorism suspect in 2004, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Patriot Act violates the Constitution because it 'permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment.'"

The U.S. District Court of Oregon has the opinion in the Brandon Mayfield v. U.S.A. case.

Source: Eggen, D. (27 Sept. 2007). "Patriot Act Provisions Voided: Judge Rules Law Gives Executive Branch Too Much Power." Washington Post. A02.

Minerals Management Service Audit

From the Billings Gazette: "Management problems at the federal agency charged with collecting $8 billion a year from companies drilling on public land have become so severe that the agency appears to be held together with a 'Band-Aid approach, a new report found."

The report from the Department of the Interior Inspector General, "Minerals Management Service: False Claims Allegation," is available on the OIG website. The report is also available as a text file.

Source: Straub, N. (27 Sept. 2007). "Report blasts U.S. agency for minerals." Billings Gazette.

Bitterroot National Forest Travel Planning

From the Bitterroot National Forest: "In 2005, the Forest Service published a new rule for providing motor vehicle access to national forests and grasslands. To comply with this rule, the Bitterroot National Forest will work with the public to designate those roads, trails and areas open to motorized recreational use. We are excited about this effort because it will result in clear, standardized designations of where motorized recreation is appropriate, sustainable and desirable. It will protect natural resource values through effective management of motor vehicle use, enhance motorized recreation experiences on the National Forest, and preserve areas of non-motorized travel and experiences."

The proposed action plan for motorized and non-motorized travel in Bitterroot National Forest is on the Travel Management Planning 2007 - 2009 page.

You can send comments on the plan to:
Motorized Recreation Planning
Bitterroot National Forest
Forest Supervisor's Office
1801 N. First,
Hamilton 59840-3114

There are several contacts for questions about the plan.

Source: Backus,P. (27 Sept. 2007). "Process begins to alter Bitterroot travel rules." Missoulian. B1.

9th Circuit Ruling in W.R. Grace Case

From the Missoulian: "Federal prosecutors won a substantial victory Thursday when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored key elements to the criminal indictment against W.R. Grace & Co. and seven of its top or former officials.

"The panel of senior judges in Seattle reversed several contentious decisions issued last year by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy, who dismissed charges central to the government's sprawling case against the chemical manufacturing company."

The new opinion in the USA v. W.R. Grace case is available on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals website.

The W.R. Grace casefile is available on the District Court of Montana website.

Source: Scott, T. (21 Sept. 2007). "9th Circuit overturns Grace rulings." Missoulian. A1.

Meth Use in Montana

From the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) press release: "State Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch today released 2007 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey results showing a 66% decrease in the use of methamphetamines among high school students since 1999. Attorney General Mike McGrath and Montana Meth Project Chairman Mike Gulledge also released additional new Montana Meth Project state and national survey results."

OPI has posted the "2007 YRBS Summary Report: Montana Meth High School Use Trends" on its website. The press release links to charts tracking high school meth use in Montana and the impact of the Montana Meth Project campaign. More information on the Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is also available.

Source: McKee, J., & Straub, N. (19 Sept. 2007). "Montana meth use dropping." Missoulian. A1.

White House Address and Report on Iraq

From the Washington Post: "Bush said progress on the ground means he can pull out by next summer the additional combat forces he sent in January -- roughly 21,700 troops -- and he opened the door to further troop reductions if conditions improve. Although the president offered no forecast for how long it will take, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told Washington Post reporters and editors yesterday that current U.S. projections anticipate Iraq reaching nationwide "sustainable security" by June 2009."

A transcript of last night's address by the President has been posted on the White House website.

Today, the White House issued the latest Benchmark Assessment Report as directed by the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007.

Source: Baker, P., & DeYoung, K. (14 September 2007). "Bush Tells Nation He Will Begin to Roll Back 'Surge': Gen. Petraeus Says U.S. Is Projecting 'Sustainable Security' in Iraq by 2009." Washington Post. A01.

Death and Life Expectancy Data

From the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) press release: "A child born in the United States in 2005 can expect to live nearly 78 years (77.9) – a new high – according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 'Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005.'"

The report, "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005," is available online. The publication indicates the leading causes of death, reports on infant mortality, and discusses other trends.

Source: "Deaths in U.S. rise; life expectancy edges up." (13 September 2007) Missoulian. A2.

Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2007

From the Senate Finance Committee press release: "By a voice vote today, the Senate Finance Committee approved legislation to provide long-overdue updates to Indian health policies in programs under the Finance Committee's jurisdiction, namely Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The 'Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2007' provides $52 million in additional funding for health care services on which millions of Native Americans rely. The legislation improves reimbursement procedures, bolsters outreach programs, and eliminates co-payments for patients of the Indian Health Service who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP. The bill also streamlines and updates rules and regulations that will enable federal health programs to work more effectively with the Indian Health Service."

The Senate Finance Committee website has details on the "Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2007" that specify funding for specific programs. This information will be incorporated into Senate Bill 1200, "Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2007." Earlier information on this bill was posted on August 22, 2007.

Source: Straub, N. (13 September 2007). "Senate panel OKs Indian health care bill." Billings Gazette.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

From the Missoulian: "The United Nations General Assembly is prepared to vote Thursday on a declaration that would support the human rights of indigenous people - a document more than two decades in the making."

The text of the declaration is available on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues website. The site includes a FAQ and press releases about the declaration.

Source: Rave, J. (13 September 2007). "U.N. prepared to vote on indigenous rights declaration." Missoulian. A1.

General Petraeus' Report to Congress on Iraq

From the Washington Post: "Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told Congress yesterday that the deployment of 30,000 more troops to Iraq has made enough progress that the additional combat forces can be pulled out by next summer, but he cautioned against 'rushing to failure' with a larger and speedier withdrawal."

General Petraeus testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday. The text of his prepared testimony is available on the committee website. The site also includes an archived video webcast of the hearing and the prepared statements of Representative Tom Lantos, Representative Ike Skelton, and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.

Source: Baker, P., & Weisman, J. (11 September 2007) "Petraeus Backs Initial Pullout: General Praises Progress, Warns Against 'Rushing to Failure'." Washington Post. A01.

Court Order on the Patriot Act

From the Washington Post: "A federal judge struck down controversial portions of the USA Patriot Act in a ruling that declared them unconstitutional yesterday, ordering the FBI to stop its wide use of a warrantless tactic for obtaining e-mail and telephone data from private companies for counterterrorism investigations."

A copy of the decision by Judge Victor Marrero is currently available on the ACLU website.

Source: Eggen, Dan. "Judge Invalidates Patriot Act Provisions: FBI Is Told to Halt Warrantless Tactic." Washington Post September 7, 2007. A01.

GAO Report on Climate Change and Federal Lands

From the Missoulian: "After more than three years of study, the Government Accountability Office, an arm of Congress, harshly faulted the Bush administration for doing little to deal with the far-reaching effects of climate change rapidly taking place on federal lands."

The new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, "Climate Change: Agencies Should Develop Guidance for Addressing the Effects on Federal Land and Water Resources," is available on the agency website.

Source: "GAO criticizes federal agencies for brushing off climate change." Missoulian September 7, 2007. A4.

Montana Adequate Yearly Progress Report

From the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) press release: "Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch today released the fifth annual Adequate Yearly Progress Report (AYP) to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In 2007, 90% of Montana public schools were able to meet the federal education requirements."

The 2007 "Adequate Yearly Progress Report" status for all Montana schools and districts is available on the OPI website.

Sources: Chaney, Rob. "Schools face sanctions for low scores." Missoulian September 7, 2007. A1.
"Education report highlights schools' progress." Billings Gazette September 6, 2007.

Powder River Basin Coal Report

From the Helena Independent Record: "The Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana is the largest known coal deposit in the United States with an estimated 550 billion tons of federally owned coal in the ground, but only 1.5 percent of it is currently available for mining, according to a new federal report."

The new report, "Inventory of Assessed Federal Coal Resources and Restrictions to Their Development," has been posted on the Department of Energy website. A Bureau of Land Management press release offers a summary of the report.

Source: Moen, Bob. "Federal report reviews coal production restrictions." Helena Independent Record September 7, 2007.

Suicide Statistics

From the Missoulian: "After a decade of decline, the suicide rate for girls ages 10 to 14 spiked by 76 percent in 2004, and their method of choice changed from firearms to suffocation and hanging, federal officials said Thursday."

The new data has been published in the most recent issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): "Suicide Trends Among Youths and Young Adults Aged 10-24 Years - United States, 1990-2004."

Source: "Officials say suicide rate among youth is rising." Missoulian September 7, 2007. A7.