New Reports on the Elections
Elections: Perspectives on Activities and Challenges Across the Nation
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-3
"Elections: Statistical Analysis of Factors That Affected Uncounted Votes in the 2000 Presidential Election"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-122
"Elections: Status and Use of Federal Voting Equipment Standards"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-52
Elections: A Framework for Evaluating Reform Proposal
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-90
Even as many in the United States are focused on the threat of biological terrorism, some are turning their attention to last year's national crisis -- election difficulties and reform. These four reports, released this week by the General Accounting Office (GAO), give a wealth of information on how elections are currently conducted in the United States, what contributed toward votes going uncounted in the last presidential elections, and how various reform proposals should be evaluated. The first report, weighing in at 436 pages, covers the various stages of elections -- registration, absentee voting, election day administration, vote counts, and recounts. The report also addresses the potential to use the Internet in voting and the technologies employed in the November 2000 elections. The second report, at 25 pages, correlates Census data with data on voting equipment, turnout, and presidential vote data. The report finds that the state in which counties were located, the counties' demographic characteristics, and their voting equipment all correlated with the percentage of uncounted votes. The third report, which is 33 pages, recommends a more explicit assignment of federal responsibility for maintaining and implementing voting equipment standards. The last report, at 80 pages, is the "capping report" from the GAO and addresses the challenges of undertaking any reform proposal. GAO emphasizes that the federal election system is fundamentally "51 individual systems that in turn are administered and principally funded by more than 10,000 counties, cities, townships, and villages." [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Saganet
http://saga.library.cornell.edu/
The National and University Library of Iceland has partnered with Cornell University to bring Saganet to the Web. This impressive digitization project will feature 380,000 manuscript pages and 145,000 printed pages of Old Icelandic literature and critical works published before 1900. The site offers "the full range of Icelandic family sagas" as well as Germanic/ Nordic mythology, the history of Norwegian kings, and tales of European chivalry. Users can search or browse the collection, and there is a large amount of help documentation for those who need more assistance getting used to the interface. It is perhaps needless to say that the site is available in both English and Icelandic, though the texts and cataloging records are only in Icelandic. We had difficulties using the site with Netscape on a Mac platform but no problems with Internet Explorer. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
America's Underinsured: A Closer Look
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/onpi/webextra.nsf/web/uninsured?OpenDocument
This new "Web extra" from the National Academies covers the uninsured and underinsured in the United States. Currently about 40 million Americans are not covered by health insurance, more than the combined populations of Connecticut, Texas, and Florida, according to the site, and 80 percent of these are employed or are members of working families. The heart of the site is the new publication from the National Academy Press (NAP), Coverage Matters: Insurance and Health Care. The report, the first in a series by the Institute of Medicine, argues that public policy is more crucial than the state of the economy in decreasing the number of uninsured and underinsured citizens. In addition to a press release and a link to Coverage Matters, the site features a number of articles, including "A Portrait of the Uninsured," "Where to Find Help," and "The Myths and Realities." Hyperlinks throughout the articles lead to more information off-site. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Samuel F.B. Morse Papers
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sfbmhtml/
The latest release from the Library of Congress' American Memory site is the Samuel F.B. Morse papers. The online collection is comprised of 50,000 digital images (available in two resolutions), 6,500 items, searchable (by keyword) and browseable (by series). The holdings span diaries, drawings, clippings, correspondence, maps, and more. The collection dates from 1793 to 1919, but most documents are from the period 1807-1872. The site offers several contextual features including a Morse family tree, a timeline, a selection of collection highlights, and a couple of short pieces: "The Invention of the Telegraph" and "The Lesser-Known Morse: Artist, Politician, Photographer." [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Institutional Policies and Practices: Results From the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, Institution Survey
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001201
Released this week from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this 138-page publication reports results from a survey of 960 institutions and is part of the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty. The report gives data on types of instructors (full-time, part-time, teaching assistant, etc.), gender, ethnicity, and salaries and how these numbers have changed over time. NCES found that 71 percent of undergraduate courses are taught by full time faculty, 27 percent by part-time faculty, and 1 percent by teaching assistants (14 percent in public research institutions). The survey also found that 45 percent of faculty were part-time, and only 53 percent of institutions contribute to benefits for part-time faculty (who worked, according to the survey, an average of 36.9 hours a week). This report should be of great interest to anyone tracking changes in university employment. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
text-e [Adobe eBook, Microsoft Reader]
http://www.text-e.org/
The Bibliotheque publique d'information (BPI), Centre Pompidou, the Institut Jean Nicod (CNRS), and EURO-EDU have combined forces (with the help of GiantChair.com and UNESCO) to bring us the first entirely virtual symposium. Launched this week, the symposium concentrates on the impact of "New Information and Communication Technologies (NICT)" and their effects on "our relationship with information and the written word." A new paper will be published online every two weeks, with the symposium consisting of ten papers altogether. Each paper will be discussed by the ten contributors and 30 guests, and interested members of the public can register to receive papers via email and participate in a forum. The first paper in the symposium, published Monday, is Roger Chartier's "Readers and Reading in the Age of Electronic Texts." The full program, a moderated forum, a bibliography, a registration form, and other resources are all available at the text-e site, which is available in English, French, and Italian. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Fertility of American Women [.pdf, MS Excel]
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/fertility.html
The Census Bureau collects data on fertility of noninstitutionalized American women biannually in the Current Population Survey (CPS), and they have released the report for 2000 this week. This year's findings are particularly significant because they record a drop in labor force participation by mothers with infant children (especially white mothers over 30), the first significant decline since the Census began measuring participation (1976). From this page, users can access the eleven-page, .pdf-formatted report, a press release which gives highlights of the data, and detailed tables (e.g., Distribution of Women by Average Number of Children Ever Born, by Race, Age,and Marital Status). Data from the 1994, 1995, and 1998 CPS are also available at the site, as are historical time series tables, methodological tables, and links to related data on the Census site. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
H-Utopia
http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~utopia/
The latest addition to H-Net's discussion networks explores issues of utopia and is "devoted to discussion of utopianism in all its forms, from literary expression to policy analysis to architectural criticism to activism." With a focus on the forms, contents, and influences of utopian/ dystopian thinking, the site allows users to participate in discussions and view logs of past discussions and announcements. The welcome message link gives users information about subscribing as well as some basic information about the list and the editors. [REB]
[Back to Contents]
The USGS Learning Web [.pdf]
http://www.usgs.gov/education/
Here is a new, rich resource for K-12 teachers and students from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The Learning Web provides online lesson plans, activities, tutorials (some downloadable and printable in .pdf), and links to references dealing with interdisciplinary studies of natural science. For example, the Exploring Caves section (1-3 level) covers the basic geology of caves, life habits of cave-dwelling organisms, and cave safety and conservation. Other topics explored on the Learning Web include maps, climate, wildlife, earth processes, and more. Learning Web culls pages appropriate for K-12 instruction from the USGS's vast online collection of factsheets, data, and program sites, allowing teachers and students to spend time learning rather than searching. However, because this site is so full of information, it can be tricky to navigate and important sections can be missed, so try using their search engine to find specific topics. Note also that elementary content is much more abundant here than secondary. [HCS]
[Back to Contents]
Two Archive sites
September11.archive.org
http://september11.archive.org/
Television Archive [QuickTime, RealPlayer]
http://tvnews3.televisionarchive.org/tvarchive/html/index.html
Some of the newest resources on the Web are archive sites, that is sites that collect previously distributed media (see the July 13, 2001 Scout Report for discussion of an Election 2000 archive). Two such Websites have compiled information on the September 11, 2001 tragedies. September11.archive.org, a collaborative effort from Library of Congress, the Internet Archive, and webArchivist.org, offers a compilation of hundreds of sites that reported on the terrorist attacks. They can be searched by category or keyword and range from religious and news organizations to governmental sites. The Television Archive, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, provides audio and video files from news agencies around the world on September 11 and the following week. The site is still being beta-tested, and feedback is welcome. Files can be searched by keyword or browsed by a timeline or program guide and require QuickTime, RealPlayer, and at least a 56k connection to view or listen to. Both sites offer a historical reference point for this tragic day and give a glimpse into the future of Web information compilation and distribution. [JAB]
[Back to Contents]
Almanac of American Politics 2002
http://nationaljournal.com/members/almanac/
The National Journal Group, Inc., a Washington-based organization "committed to providing publications and services that are nonpartisan, reliable and of the highest quality," now makes available a Web version of their Almanac of American Politics 2002 (the 2000 edition was discussed in the March 3, 2000 Scout Report). One advantage of using the online edition is that it is constantly updated (recently posting Senate committee changes, for example). Browseable by state or district, the Almanac is chock-full of data on presidential politics, election cycles, state demographics (see the "At a Glance" feature), campaign finance, data, key officials, and more. Besides the facts and figures, the site features articles by staff members, such as an introduction to American politics and race-by-race election analysis. A form for ordering reprints and back issues is also available. This is a nice resource for students and researchers in political science or anyone curious about American politics. [HCS]
Please note that the Almanac is available only to subscribers.
[Back to Contents]
Lift Every Voice [QuickTime, MP3]
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/exhibits/music/index.html
The University of Virginia Library is hosting a special exhibition called Lift Every Voice, named after a hymn composed by two African-American brothers in the days of the Jim Crow South and aiming to inspire the struggle for equal rights. The Lift Every Voice exhibition commemorates and celebrates a variety of songs that were a part of everyday American life through the centuries. No time to visit Virginia? Then visit the exhibition's Website and enjoy reading about the history behind our country's ballads, hymns, patriotic anthems, minstrels, musicals, and protest songs while listening to audio clips of selected songs (QuickTime, MP3). The text is enriched by digital images of historical papers, compiled by Virginia's Albert H. Small Special Collections Library, including musical scores, photos of musicians, and printed lyrics. The site also contains a section on Thomas Jefferson's relationship to music in the Old South, with digital images of texts from Jefferson's library and, of course, a sample of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." [HCS]
[Back to Contents]
Export Alert!
http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/210/217/export-alert.htm
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Trade Administration (ITA) last week launched this email alert service for businesses to keep aware of restrictions on international imports. Export Alert! will disseminate regulatory changes proposed by any of the 142 member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Notifications are sorted into 41 "fields of activity," such as construction materials, agriculture, health care technology, etc., and subscribers can specify fields or countries about which to receive notices. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Debate Central
http://www.Debate-Central.org/
Courtesy of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), Debate-Central.org offers resources related to this year's National Forensic League high school debate topic: "Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy significantly limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction." The site, which is updated daily, features a wealth of links sorted into ten categories (each of which is further divided into subcategories). Resources are collected from periodicals, think tanks, and other sources, and the collection should be useful not just for debaters but for anyone looking for authoritative resources on these topics. Other debate topics are listed on the right-hand side of the page, though these are covered in a less comprehensive manner. Also at the site is a bulletin board, through which users can ask questions of experts such as Dr. Hans Mark, former Secretary of the Air Force and Deputy Administrator of NASA, and a link to NCPA's Terrorism in America site. NCPA's mission is "to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector." [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Scientists Track "Perfect Storm" on Mars [QuickTime, RealPlayer, .pdf]
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/31/index.html
The latest release from the Space Telescope Science Institute's site (last reviewed in the August 3, 2001 Scout Report) provides a unique look at a global dust storm on Mars using images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Hubble Space Telescope. Offerings include photographs, illustrations, and animations of the dust storm as well as a press release, background information, fast facts, and additional links. [JAB]
[Back to Contents]
Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) Version 1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/xsl/
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has advanced the Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) 1.0 as a recommendation this week. XSL 1.0 is an XML-based language that details how XML documents will be formatted; it consists of two parts: "a language for transforming XML documents, and an XML vocabulary for specifying formatting semantics." XSL is the language that expresses stylesheets that enable XML documents or datasheets to be formatted into a Webpage, report, pamphlet, or other medium. XSL "introduces a model for pagination and layout that extends what is currently available." [TK]
[Back to Contents]
System Toolbox
http://www.systemtoolbox.com/
System Toolbox is designed for system administrators who deal with a variety of platforms. The site covers Windows NT, General Unix, Novell, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, and the Mac OS. The "toolbox" for each platform offers annotated links to Tools (Disk Management, Anti-Virus, Security, etc.), Articles, and other useful Links. While the information here is hardly comprehensive, the site offers useful, if often basic, resources for administrators. System Toolbox's brand new History section looks promising, with two articles currently posted, "Von Braun's Slide Rule" and "The Godfather of Computing - Charles Babbage." The Comments section allows users to post questions or comments. [TK]
[Back to Contents]
Stimulating the Economy...How?
1. "Package of G.O.P Tax Cuts Is Approved by House Panel" -- New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/13/politics/13TAX.html
2. "Bush Administration Says G.O.P. Tax Cut Bill Goes Too Far" -- New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/16/politics/16STIM.html
3. "Bush Pursues Two Tracks on Stimulus Bills" -- Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5200-2001Oct16.html
4. "TaxWire: Breaux Charts Bipartisan Course on Stimulus" -- Tax.org
http://www.tax.org/taxwire/taxwire.htm#TTN_Story_1
5. The Economic Security and Recovery Act of 2001 [.pdf] -- House Ways and Means Committee
Part I
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/fullcomm/107cong/hr3090/hr3090reptp1.pdf
Part II
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/fullcomm/107cong/hr3090/hr3090reptp2.pdf
HR 3090 as Reported
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/fullcomm/107cong/hr3090/hr3090asrept.pdf
6. Revised Budgetary Outlook and Principles for Economic Stimulus [.pdf]
Overview
http://www.house.gov/budget/100401pr.htm
Tables and Principles
http://www.house.gov/budget/revbudgoutlk100401.pdf
7. Growth Package Based on Good Tax Policy, Not More Spending -- Office of the House Majority Leader
http://www.freedom.gov/library/economics/heritage.asp
8. "Ways And Means Package Departs From Bipartisan Principles For Effective Stimulus and Offers Little Help to the Unemployed" [.pdf] -- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
http://www.cbpp.org/10-17-01tax.htm
9. "Why The Current Stimulus Package Should Have Only Temporary Items" [.pdf] -- The Brookings Institute
http://www.brook.edu/views/papers/orszag/20011009.htm
10. "$212 Billion House GOP 'Stimulus' Tax Bill Would Almost Double Bush Tax Cuts Over Next Three Years" [.pdf] -- Citizens for Tax Justice
http://www.ctj.org/html/stimulus.htm
11. "Is Fiscal Stimulus Desirable?" [RealPlayer] -- Cato Institute
http://www.cato.org/events/011011pf.html
12. Key Issues: Taxes -- The Heritage Foundation
http://www.heritage.org/library/keyissues/taxes/
The Economic Security and Recovery Act of 2001 (Bill HR3090) was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee on October 12 and will be brought to the floor for approval soon. On October 16, the Bush Administration stated that the tax cut bill, with its provisions for over $70 billion in tax cuts to companies and nearly $29 billion to individuals, goes too far. All over Washington, critics and supporters are focusing on the equity of tax cuts between the best-off one-fifth and the bottom three-fifths of all taxpayers. Controversial provisions of the bill would allow lenders to postpone tax on income from foreign lending and would permanently repealing the corporate alternative minimum tax. This week's In the News presents a potpourri of Websites about the proposed legislation. News articles, the text of the actual bill, and editorial reactions from a range of political positions are listed here.
To get an overview of the latest news, see the articles from the New York Times,Washington Post, and Tax.org (a conservative watchdog group). To read the proposed legislation, download the .pdf files accessible from the House of Representatives' Website. You can also visit the page of House Majority Leader Dick Armey to read the statement he issued on October 10 at a Heritage Foundation sponsored program -- Rebuilding our Economy with Good Tax Policy. The last five resources listed here are pages voicing opinions from various think tanks such as The Brookings Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (most of these offer both HTML and .pdf versions of their papers). The Cato Institute features an audiovisual recording of its forum, Is Fiscal Stimulus Desirable?, held on October 11 (RealPlayer). The Center for Tax Justice's site provides a simple table outlining the effects of the bill on different income groups. [HCS]
[Back to Contents]
Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:
Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2001. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science Foundation.
The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page:
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/about/team.html
