Go here to read the full LA Times story on Wall Street's Hedge Funds buying our newspapers:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tribune-20100606,0,7572272,full.story
Wrap...
Monday, June 07, 2010
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Now Wall St Corps Buy Newspapers....
We'd damned well better pay some attention here. An LA Times article in their Business section this morning...June 6th...reports that some big outfits on Wall Street are about to purchase our newspapers!!! They're talking consolidation of say, the LA Times with the Orange County Register.
Well, a corporation named Platinum has already purchased the San Diego Union-Tribune and as a San Diego person, I can tell you that the paper is a disaster. Even Platinum has come to realize that since any number of subscribers have concelled their subscriptions.
Wrap...
Well, a corporation named Platinum has already purchased the San Diego Union-Tribune and as a San Diego person, I can tell you that the paper is a disaster. Even Platinum has come to realize that since any number of subscribers have concelled their subscriptions.
Wrap...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Justice Stevens And Habeas....
From Secrecy News...
THE JURISPRUDENCE OF JUSTICE JOHN PAUL STEVENS
"Justice John Paul Stevens played a pivotal role in determining the scope of executive-branch power in a post-9/11 world," observed the Congressional Research Service in one of a series of new reports reviewing the legacy and impact of Justice Stevens, who is set to retire from the Supreme Court next month.
"Justice Stevens authored majority opinions in two leading cases, Rasul v. Bush and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, in which the Court allowed detainees' habeas petitions to proceed and invalidated the early incarnation of military commissions, thereby rejecting the broader views of executive power articulated shortly after the 9/11 attacks. In the cases, his view prevailed over strongly articulated dissenting opinions authored by Justice Scalia and other justices," the CRS noted.
"Justice Stevens has been instrumental in developing post-9/11 jurisprudence regarding the limits of executive power during -- and following -- armed conflicts. Prior to 9/11, the Supreme Court had rarely considered questions regarding potential limits on the President's Commander in Chief power. The wartime detention cases provide key insights into the Court's views on the reach of executive authority, as well as on other separation-of-power concerns, including Congress's role."
However, a portion of this legacy on detainees' rights may already be subject to limitation or erosion. Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that detainees held abroad by the U.S. military in Afghanistan -- unlike those in Guantanamo -- could not invoke habeas corpus to appear before a judge.
See "The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Leading Opinions on Wartime Detentions" (pdf), May 13, 2010.
The companion reports from CRS are these (all pdf):
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Selected Federalism Issues," May 19, 2010.
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Selected Opinions on Intellectual Property Law," May 14, 2010.
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: The Constitutionality of Congressional Term Limits and the Presidential Line Item Veto," May 18, 2010.
Congress has forbidden CRS to make these and other publications directly available to the public online. Copies were obtained by Secrecy News.
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html
Wrap...
THE JURISPRUDENCE OF JUSTICE JOHN PAUL STEVENS
"Justice John Paul Stevens played a pivotal role in determining the scope of executive-branch power in a post-9/11 world," observed the Congressional Research Service in one of a series of new reports reviewing the legacy and impact of Justice Stevens, who is set to retire from the Supreme Court next month.
"Justice Stevens authored majority opinions in two leading cases, Rasul v. Bush and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, in which the Court allowed detainees' habeas petitions to proceed and invalidated the early incarnation of military commissions, thereby rejecting the broader views of executive power articulated shortly after the 9/11 attacks. In the cases, his view prevailed over strongly articulated dissenting opinions authored by Justice Scalia and other justices," the CRS noted.
"Justice Stevens has been instrumental in developing post-9/11 jurisprudence regarding the limits of executive power during -- and following -- armed conflicts. Prior to 9/11, the Supreme Court had rarely considered questions regarding potential limits on the President's Commander in Chief power. The wartime detention cases provide key insights into the Court's views on the reach of executive authority, as well as on other separation-of-power concerns, including Congress's role."
However, a portion of this legacy on detainees' rights may already be subject to limitation or erosion. Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that detainees held abroad by the U.S. military in Afghanistan -- unlike those in Guantanamo -- could not invoke habeas corpus to appear before a judge.
See "The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Leading Opinions on Wartime Detentions" (pdf), May 13, 2010.
The companion reports from CRS are these (all pdf):
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Selected Federalism Issues," May 19, 2010.
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Selected Opinions on Intellectual Property Law," May 14, 2010.
"The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: The Constitutionality of Congressional Term Limits and the Presidential Line Item Veto," May 18, 2010.
Congress has forbidden CRS to make these and other publications directly available to the public online. Copies were obtained by Secrecy News.
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html
Wrap...
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thinking About Things....
Sunday Afternoon: San Diego, CA...
Right off the top, I could give two hoots in hell about whether Supreme Judge nominee, Kagen, is a lesbian or not. That has absolutely nothing to do with her brainpower, which is considerable. In my opinion, she should be nominated for that position right quick.
The Texas Schoolboard...the whole mess of them...need their heads examined. It's pretty plain that they couldn't care less about the quality of education Texas kids get so long as the boards' ideologic opinions as expressed in those books make their way into the kids' heads and therefore, their beliefs. It's assinine. Problem: What to do about it?
So yes. Russia has sealed off gushing oil wells by bombing them. It works. Don't necessarily have to use a nuke to do it. The bunker-buster bomb ought to be powerful enough to do the job, so let's get on with it.
Now here's a question: Are the drones, currently in use especially near the Pakistan border, a good thing or not? I really don't know. Yes, they save American lives, but no, they kill innocent people...both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Which brings us to Osama bin Laden, the cause of the Afghanistan War. Nobody knows where the hell he is. And we'll probably never find him. Money is not his problem. He's a part of the Saudi royal family, so he's set for life. Al Queda is a problem, but I'm not too sure about the Taliban...bastards tho they are to women. Far as I'm concerned, let Karzai and his government deal with them. Thing to do is get our guys outta there. We're just treading water as it is. NATO certainly wouldn't object to getting their people out either. We're not doing a bit of good there, so what's the point?
It was good that President Obama invited the Mexican President, Calderon, to visit the White House. Fact of the matter is, Mexico wouldn't be having the drug cartels shooting everybody and their brother along the border if the US legalized drugs and stopped shipping guns down there. As it is, we're after their illegal drugs and they're after money and guns. It's sort of a similar situation we had during alcohol prohibition. The only way that situation was solved was through legalization. Same with drugs now. So we'd have more car accidents, etc. same as with drinking. And they yell about smoking! At least it doesn't alter/drug your brain like drugs or drinking.
Wrap...
Right off the top, I could give two hoots in hell about whether Supreme Judge nominee, Kagen, is a lesbian or not. That has absolutely nothing to do with her brainpower, which is considerable. In my opinion, she should be nominated for that position right quick.
The Texas Schoolboard...the whole mess of them...need their heads examined. It's pretty plain that they couldn't care less about the quality of education Texas kids get so long as the boards' ideologic opinions as expressed in those books make their way into the kids' heads and therefore, their beliefs. It's assinine. Problem: What to do about it?
So yes. Russia has sealed off gushing oil wells by bombing them. It works. Don't necessarily have to use a nuke to do it. The bunker-buster bomb ought to be powerful enough to do the job, so let's get on with it.
Now here's a question: Are the drones, currently in use especially near the Pakistan border, a good thing or not? I really don't know. Yes, they save American lives, but no, they kill innocent people...both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Which brings us to Osama bin Laden, the cause of the Afghanistan War. Nobody knows where the hell he is. And we'll probably never find him. Money is not his problem. He's a part of the Saudi royal family, so he's set for life. Al Queda is a problem, but I'm not too sure about the Taliban...bastards tho they are to women. Far as I'm concerned, let Karzai and his government deal with them. Thing to do is get our guys outta there. We're just treading water as it is. NATO certainly wouldn't object to getting their people out either. We're not doing a bit of good there, so what's the point?
It was good that President Obama invited the Mexican President, Calderon, to visit the White House. Fact of the matter is, Mexico wouldn't be having the drug cartels shooting everybody and their brother along the border if the US legalized drugs and stopped shipping guns down there. As it is, we're after their illegal drugs and they're after money and guns. It's sort of a similar situation we had during alcohol prohibition. The only way that situation was solved was through legalization. Same with drugs now. So we'd have more car accidents, etc. same as with drinking. And they yell about smoking! At least it doesn't alter/drug your brain like drugs or drinking.
Wrap...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Problem Solving At the DOD....
From Secrecy News...
Basic scientific research sponsored by the Department of Defense has suffered a precipitous decline in recent years, according to a newly disclosed 2009 report (pdf) from the JASON defense advisory panel.
"Basic research" refers to the investigation of fundamental phenomena, and contrasts with "applied research" that aims to meet a specific mission requirement or to solve a specified problem.
"Over the past decade, there has been an exodus of scientific and technical expertise from the U.S. government and, in particular, from the DoD [basic] research enterprise," the JASONs said.
"Gone are many of the technically literate program officers who plied the streets of the scientific community to find those remarkable people who could help shape the future. Gone too are many of the scientists and engineers in the academic community [who were supported by DoD basic research contracts] and who contributed to revolutionary advances that changed the landscape of modern war fighting. And most importantly, lost is the opportunity to develop the next generation of scientific talent who would otherwise have been trained and capable of carrying the research enterprise forward."
“Despite the importance of DoD Basic Research, we believe that important aspects of the DoD basic research programs are ‘broken’ to an extent that neither throwing more money at these problems nor simple changes in procedures and definitions will fix them,” the report said.
The JASONs nevertheless offer a series of recommendations concerning program organization and personnel recruitment to strengthen basic research. Among other things, they say that DoD should reject the "peer review" model for evaluating funding decisions, since that tends to reinforce the status quo, and should instead provide funding to exceptional individuals. They favorably cite Nobel laureate Luis Alvarez saying: "In my considered opinion the peer review system, in which proposals rather than proposers are reviewed, is the greatest disaster to be visited upon the scientific community this century...."
The JASON report was originally marked "for official use only." When the Federation of American Scientists requested it last year under the Freedom of Information Act, most of the document was withheld as "deliberative." But upon appeal, DoD agreed this month to release the entire report. To accompany the release, Alan R. Shaffer, Director of Defense Research and Engineering, issued a cover memorandum stating that the JASON report was "one perspective" among several and that it was not based on a comprehensive data set.
See "S & T for National Security," JASON Summer Study, completed May 2009, released May 2010.
Wrap...
Basic scientific research sponsored by the Department of Defense has suffered a precipitous decline in recent years, according to a newly disclosed 2009 report (pdf) from the JASON defense advisory panel.
"Basic research" refers to the investigation of fundamental phenomena, and contrasts with "applied research" that aims to meet a specific mission requirement or to solve a specified problem.
"Over the past decade, there has been an exodus of scientific and technical expertise from the U.S. government and, in particular, from the DoD [basic] research enterprise," the JASONs said.
"Gone are many of the technically literate program officers who plied the streets of the scientific community to find those remarkable people who could help shape the future. Gone too are many of the scientists and engineers in the academic community [who were supported by DoD basic research contracts] and who contributed to revolutionary advances that changed the landscape of modern war fighting. And most importantly, lost is the opportunity to develop the next generation of scientific talent who would otherwise have been trained and capable of carrying the research enterprise forward."
“Despite the importance of DoD Basic Research, we believe that important aspects of the DoD basic research programs are ‘broken’ to an extent that neither throwing more money at these problems nor simple changes in procedures and definitions will fix them,” the report said.
The JASONs nevertheless offer a series of recommendations concerning program organization and personnel recruitment to strengthen basic research. Among other things, they say that DoD should reject the "peer review" model for evaluating funding decisions, since that tends to reinforce the status quo, and should instead provide funding to exceptional individuals. They favorably cite Nobel laureate Luis Alvarez saying: "In my considered opinion the peer review system, in which proposals rather than proposers are reviewed, is the greatest disaster to be visited upon the scientific community this century...."
The JASON report was originally marked "for official use only." When the Federation of American Scientists requested it last year under the Freedom of Information Act, most of the document was withheld as "deliberative." But upon appeal, DoD agreed this month to release the entire report. To accompany the release, Alan R. Shaffer, Director of Defense Research and Engineering, issued a cover memorandum stating that the JASON report was "one perspective" among several and that it was not based on a comprehensive data set.
See "S & T for National Security," JASON Summer Study, completed May 2009, released May 2010.
Wrap...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Unusual Books Coming...
From Publishers Lunch Weekly...
FICTION:
DEBUT:
David Whitehouse's debut novel, BED, to Paul Whitlatch at Scribner, by Claudia Ballard on behalf of Cathryn Summerhayes at William Morris Endeavor.
UK/Commonwealth rights to Francis Bickmore at Canongate, by Cathryn Summerhayes.
SCI-FI/FANTASY:
Greg van Eekhout's THE OSTEOMANCER'S SON, to Patrick Nielsen Hayden at Tor, in a very nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates (NA).
THRILLER:
MI6 field operative Matthew Dunn's international espionage thriller, which features a spy out to avenge his father's death and capture a brilliant and ruthless Iranian spy, to David Highfill at William Morrow, in pre-empt, for publication in summer 2011, on the same day UK rights were pre-empted by Rowland White at Orion, by Luigi Bonomi, by Susan Howe at Orion (NA).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Italian bestseller and Premio Strega finalist Silvia Avallone's ACCIAIO (STEEL), a novel of two best friends growing up in a working-class seaside town in the shadow of a steel mill, who dream of escaping together to the island of Elba, to Alessandra Lusardi at Viking, by Sonia Finotello at Rizzoli (world English).
NON-FICTION...
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Jeff Ryan's SUPER MARIO: AN UNOFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY, a colorful history of Nintendo in America detailing the plot-twisted saga worthy of a video game that gave rise to the most successful franchise in the history of video games, if not entertainment, to Courtney Young of Portfolio, in a pre-empt, for publication is planned for 2012, by Lynn Johnston at Lynn Johnston Literary.
COOKING:
Baker and star of the TLC show, CAKE BOSS, Buddy Valastro CAKE BOSS: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia, sharing his family's inspiring and poignant life story as a hard-working family realized their patriarch's dream of making their bake shop a household name, along with 25 recipes for the bakery's most popular treats, to Leslie Meredith at Free Press, for publication in November 2010, followed by a Cake Boss baking cooking for publication in November 2011, from Maura Teitelbaum of Abrams Artists Agency and Erin Niumata of Folio Literary Management.
HUMOR:
Comedian and writer Moshe Kasher's KASHER IN THE RYE, a comedic story exploring the universal themes of being raised by deaf parents, being kidnapped by his mother to live in the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Oakland, and embarking on a whirlwind tour of drug addiction, gangs and lock-down institutions at the age of twelve, to Ben Greenberg at Grand Central, by Richard Abate and Josh Lieberman at 3 Arts Entertainment.
MEMOIR:
Roger Ebert's memoir covering his life and career, including his relationship with Gene Siskel, his nearly fatal illness and the loss of the ability to speak or eat, and the numerous celebrities he has met and befriended, to Mitch Hoffman at Grand Central, for publication in 2011, by Joel Gotler and Brian Lipson at Intellectual Property Group (world).
Emmy award-winning actor Joe Pantoliano's THE GREAT DEPRESSION, experiences with being his mother's son, making it in Hollywood, coping with mental illness, and finding the path to recovery, to Judy Hottensen at Weinstein Books, by David Vigliano at Vigliano Associates.
POP CULTURE:
Journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum's I WANT MY MTV, pitched as in the style of the book Live from New York, an oral history of MTV with exusive interviews from music and network executives, performers, managers, and fans to chronicle the heyday of the network from its founding in 1981 through the launch of The Real World in 1992, commissioned by Carrie Thornton at Dutton, for publication in 2011, by PJ Mark at Janklow & Nesbit (world)
Wrap...
FICTION:
DEBUT:
David Whitehouse's debut novel, BED, to Paul Whitlatch at Scribner, by Claudia Ballard on behalf of Cathryn Summerhayes at William Morris Endeavor.
UK/Commonwealth rights to Francis Bickmore at Canongate, by Cathryn Summerhayes.
SCI-FI/FANTASY:
Greg van Eekhout's THE OSTEOMANCER'S SON, to Patrick Nielsen Hayden at Tor, in a very nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates (NA).
THRILLER:
MI6 field operative Matthew Dunn's international espionage thriller, which features a spy out to avenge his father's death and capture a brilliant and ruthless Iranian spy, to David Highfill at William Morrow, in pre-empt, for publication in summer 2011, on the same day UK rights were pre-empted by Rowland White at Orion, by Luigi Bonomi, by Susan Howe at Orion (NA).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Italian bestseller and Premio Strega finalist Silvia Avallone's ACCIAIO (STEEL), a novel of two best friends growing up in a working-class seaside town in the shadow of a steel mill, who dream of escaping together to the island of Elba, to Alessandra Lusardi at Viking, by Sonia Finotello at Rizzoli (world English).
NON-FICTION...
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Jeff Ryan's SUPER MARIO: AN UNOFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY, a colorful history of Nintendo in America detailing the plot-twisted saga worthy of a video game that gave rise to the most successful franchise in the history of video games, if not entertainment, to Courtney Young of Portfolio, in a pre-empt, for publication is planned for 2012, by Lynn Johnston at Lynn Johnston Literary.
COOKING:
Baker and star of the TLC show, CAKE BOSS, Buddy Valastro CAKE BOSS: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia, sharing his family's inspiring and poignant life story as a hard-working family realized their patriarch's dream of making their bake shop a household name, along with 25 recipes for the bakery's most popular treats, to Leslie Meredith at Free Press, for publication in November 2010, followed by a Cake Boss baking cooking for publication in November 2011, from Maura Teitelbaum of Abrams Artists Agency and Erin Niumata of Folio Literary Management.
HUMOR:
Comedian and writer Moshe Kasher's KASHER IN THE RYE, a comedic story exploring the universal themes of being raised by deaf parents, being kidnapped by his mother to live in the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Oakland, and embarking on a whirlwind tour of drug addiction, gangs and lock-down institutions at the age of twelve, to Ben Greenberg at Grand Central, by Richard Abate and Josh Lieberman at 3 Arts Entertainment.
MEMOIR:
Roger Ebert's memoir covering his life and career, including his relationship with Gene Siskel, his nearly fatal illness and the loss of the ability to speak or eat, and the numerous celebrities he has met and befriended, to Mitch Hoffman at Grand Central, for publication in 2011, by Joel Gotler and Brian Lipson at Intellectual Property Group (world).
Emmy award-winning actor Joe Pantoliano's THE GREAT DEPRESSION, experiences with being his mother's son, making it in Hollywood, coping with mental illness, and finding the path to recovery, to Judy Hottensen at Weinstein Books, by David Vigliano at Vigliano Associates.
POP CULTURE:
Journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum's I WANT MY MTV, pitched as in the style of the book Live from New York, an oral history of MTV with exusive interviews from music and network executives, performers, managers, and fans to chronicle the heyday of the network from its founding in 1981 through the launch of The Real World in 1992, commissioned by Carrie Thornton at Dutton, for publication in 2011, by PJ Mark at Janklow & Nesbit (world)
Wrap...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Most Unusual Website....
New website!!! And a really interesting one. Surprised nobody has had this idea before that I know of.
The owner, Miles, says:
"my site is finally hot. it's not anywhere near finished but if you want to take a gander it's at:
http://www.mb1media.com "
Oh, you betcha!
Wrap...
The owner, Miles, says:
"my site is finally hot. it's not anywhere near finished but if you want to take a gander it's at:
http://www.mb1media.com "
Oh, you betcha!
Wrap...
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Who's Plane Is This Anyhow?
Hah! A friend of mine recently flew back from Virginia. Here's what he saw:
So, I know the economy has been particularly rough on the airlines this past year, but
check this out:
My US Air ticket said in small print "Carrier: United Airlines" (?) so I had to literally board a United jet...It's an old commuter jet and the seats are all embossed with America West's logo. I look at the emergency procedure card in the seat back pocket and it says Mesa Airlines and when the flight attendant gives her spiel, states that the flight is operated by Canadian Air...huh???
Talk about Corporate America consolidating!
Wrap...
So, I know the economy has been particularly rough on the airlines this past year, but
check this out:
My US Air ticket said in small print "Carrier: United Airlines" (?) so I had to literally board a United jet...It's an old commuter jet and the seats are all embossed with America West's logo. I look at the emergency procedure card in the seat back pocket and it says Mesa Airlines and when the flight attendant gives her spiel, states that the flight is operated by Canadian Air...huh???
Talk about Corporate America consolidating!
Wrap...
Different Books Coming Up.....
From Publishers Lunch Weekly...
FICTION
DEBUT....
2010 Bellwether winner Naomi Benaron's RUNNING THE RIFT, about a young Rwandan man training for his ultimate dream -- the Olympics -- amid the rising tensions of Rwanda that ultimately lead to the devastating 1994 genocide, to Kathy Pories at Algonquin, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (World).
Erika Marks's LITTLE GALE GUMBO, in which a woman and her two teenage daughters leave an abusive home in New Orleans to start over again in a quiet Maine town where they open an authentic Creole restaurant that becomes a mainstay on the island, as does the legacy of an unlikely love affair that results in secrets that test the limits of lifelong friendships and unrequited love, to Danielle Perez at NAL, in a two-book deal, by Rebecca Gradinger at Fletcher & Company (World).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Orange Prize shortlisted author Monique Roffey's THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE, set in postcolonial Trinidad, an exploration of political unrest in the wake of colonial rule, as seen through the eyes a married couple and the wife's undelivered letters to Eric Williams, the island's charismatic leader, to Alexis Washam at Penguin, for publication in August 2011, by Melissa Chinchillo at Fletcher & Company, on behalf of Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann (US).
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and photographer Art Wolfe's OF DOGS AND MEN: A 15,000 YEAR ROMANCE, an illustrated celebration of the ancient and universal bond between dogs and humans, to Nancy Miller at Bloomsbury, in a good deal, for publication in fall 2011, by Peter Beren at Peter Beren Publishing, representing Art Wolfe, and Andy Ross at Andy Ross Agency, representing Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (world).
CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT:
Tara Hudson's HEREAFTER trilogy, about an eighteen-year-old whose afterlife is forever altered the night she saves a boy from drowning and suddenly finds herself haunting the all-too-willing boy, who not only sees her but is determined to reintroduce her to the world of the living, to Barbara Lalicki at Harper Children's, in a pre-empt, for publication in Summer 2011, by Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management.
Film: Matthew Snyder at Creative Artists Agency
NYT bestselling YA author of LITTLE BROTHER and FOR THE WIN Cory Doctorow's PIRATE CINEMA, a story of teens on the raw cutting edge of the Internet, pirates who set out to save the world from Hollywood and Hollywood from itself, to Patrick Nielsen Hayden at Tor Children's, for publication in 2011, by Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency (NA).
Foreign: Baror International
BIOGRAPHY:
Author of the forthcoming FIFTH AVENUE, 5 A.M., Sam Wasson's BYE BYE LIFE: The Loves and Deaths of Bob Fosse, poised to be the definitive biography of the legendary choreographer whose legacy extends across the worlds of dance, theater, film, and television, with an off-stage life that was fueled by pills, drugs, and serial infidelity, and whose fingerprints on popular culture remain indelible, to George Hodgman at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in a pre-empt, by David Halpern at The Robbins Office (NA).
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Aaron Dignan's GAME FACE: UNLOCKING THE POWER OF GAME MECHANICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, explaining how to use our naturally hard-wired affinity for play to improve our society and incentivize productive behavior in routine activities, using scenarios that range from "How can I exercise more/drive traffic to my store/improve employee work ethic/improve airline passenger boarding" to successful case studies, including the new dashboard screens on the Prius, the FourSquare app, Target's checkout system, and a reexamination of popular cases like Nike+, to Amber Qureshi at Free Press, by Meg Thompson at LJK Literary Management (World English).
COOKING:
Lisa Fain's THE HOMESICK TEXAN COOKBOOK, based on a blog of the same name, documenting her trials recreating Texas food in Manhattan with photos, stories and recipes, to Elisabeth Dyssegaard at Hyperion, with Leslie Wells editing, in a pre-empt, for
publication in September 2011, by Brettne Bloom at Kneerim & Williams (NA).
Founder of a gourmet ice cream company in Columbus, OH whose unique seasonal flavors have been hailed by Food & Wine magazine, the New York Times, and Food Network, Jeni Britton Bauer's JENI'S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS: Artisanal American Ice Creams for the Home Kitchen, showing home chefs how to create artisanal quality American-style ice cream in their own kitchens, to Ann Bramson at Artisan, at auction, by Jonah Straus at Straus Literary (world English).
PARENTING:
Vanity Fair deputy editor and journalist Bruce Handy's book on reading children's books -- an historical and erudite look at the classic books we read as kids and reread to our own children and why; a humorous and personal narrative about rediscovering lasting stories with his own kids, and a guide to reading the children's canon, from GOODNIGHT MOON to HARRY POTTER and beyond, to Sarah Hochman at Simon & Schuster, for publication in spring 2013, by Jennifer Joel at ICM.
Wrap...
FICTION
DEBUT....
2010 Bellwether winner Naomi Benaron's RUNNING THE RIFT, about a young Rwandan man training for his ultimate dream -- the Olympics -- amid the rising tensions of Rwanda that ultimately lead to the devastating 1994 genocide, to Kathy Pories at Algonquin, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (World).
Erika Marks's LITTLE GALE GUMBO, in which a woman and her two teenage daughters leave an abusive home in New Orleans to start over again in a quiet Maine town where they open an authentic Creole restaurant that becomes a mainstay on the island, as does the legacy of an unlikely love affair that results in secrets that test the limits of lifelong friendships and unrequited love, to Danielle Perez at NAL, in a two-book deal, by Rebecca Gradinger at Fletcher & Company (World).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Orange Prize shortlisted author Monique Roffey's THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE, set in postcolonial Trinidad, an exploration of political unrest in the wake of colonial rule, as seen through the eyes a married couple and the wife's undelivered letters to Eric Williams, the island's charismatic leader, to Alexis Washam at Penguin, for publication in August 2011, by Melissa Chinchillo at Fletcher & Company, on behalf of Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann (US).
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and photographer Art Wolfe's OF DOGS AND MEN: A 15,000 YEAR ROMANCE, an illustrated celebration of the ancient and universal bond between dogs and humans, to Nancy Miller at Bloomsbury, in a good deal, for publication in fall 2011, by Peter Beren at Peter Beren Publishing, representing Art Wolfe, and Andy Ross at Andy Ross Agency, representing Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (world).
CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT:
Tara Hudson's HEREAFTER trilogy, about an eighteen-year-old whose afterlife is forever altered the night she saves a boy from drowning and suddenly finds herself haunting the all-too-willing boy, who not only sees her but is determined to reintroduce her to the world of the living, to Barbara Lalicki at Harper Children's, in a pre-empt, for publication in Summer 2011, by Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management.
Film: Matthew Snyder at Creative Artists Agency
NYT bestselling YA author of LITTLE BROTHER and FOR THE WIN Cory Doctorow's PIRATE CINEMA, a story of teens on the raw cutting edge of the Internet, pirates who set out to save the world from Hollywood and Hollywood from itself, to Patrick Nielsen Hayden at Tor Children's, for publication in 2011, by Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency (NA).
Foreign: Baror International
BIOGRAPHY:
Author of the forthcoming FIFTH AVENUE, 5 A.M., Sam Wasson's BYE BYE LIFE: The Loves and Deaths of Bob Fosse, poised to be the definitive biography of the legendary choreographer whose legacy extends across the worlds of dance, theater, film, and television, with an off-stage life that was fueled by pills, drugs, and serial infidelity, and whose fingerprints on popular culture remain indelible, to George Hodgman at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in a pre-empt, by David Halpern at The Robbins Office (NA).
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Aaron Dignan's GAME FACE: UNLOCKING THE POWER OF GAME MECHANICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, explaining how to use our naturally hard-wired affinity for play to improve our society and incentivize productive behavior in routine activities, using scenarios that range from "How can I exercise more/drive traffic to my store/improve employee work ethic/improve airline passenger boarding" to successful case studies, including the new dashboard screens on the Prius, the FourSquare app, Target's checkout system, and a reexamination of popular cases like Nike+, to Amber Qureshi at Free Press, by Meg Thompson at LJK Literary Management (World English).
COOKING:
Lisa Fain's THE HOMESICK TEXAN COOKBOOK, based on a blog of the same name, documenting her trials recreating Texas food in Manhattan with photos, stories and recipes, to Elisabeth Dyssegaard at Hyperion, with Leslie Wells editing, in a pre-empt, for
publication in September 2011, by Brettne Bloom at Kneerim & Williams (NA).
Founder of a gourmet ice cream company in Columbus, OH whose unique seasonal flavors have been hailed by Food & Wine magazine, the New York Times, and Food Network, Jeni Britton Bauer's JENI'S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS: Artisanal American Ice Creams for the Home Kitchen, showing home chefs how to create artisanal quality American-style ice cream in their own kitchens, to Ann Bramson at Artisan, at auction, by Jonah Straus at Straus Literary (world English).
PARENTING:
Vanity Fair deputy editor and journalist Bruce Handy's book on reading children's books -- an historical and erudite look at the classic books we read as kids and reread to our own children and why; a humorous and personal narrative about rediscovering lasting stories with his own kids, and a guide to reading the children's canon, from GOODNIGHT MOON to HARRY POTTER and beyond, to Sarah Hochman at Simon & Schuster, for publication in spring 2013, by Jennifer Joel at ICM.
Wrap...
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On Classified Information....
From Secrecy News...
A TUTORIAL ON THE CLASSIFIED INFO PROCEDURES ACT
Last week, prosecutors in the case of Thomas A. Drake, the former NSA official who is charged with unlawfully retaining classified information that he allegedly disclosed to a reporter, asked the court to hold a pre-trial conference on the use of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) in that case.
CIPA was passed by Congress in 1980 to regulate the disclosure of classified information in criminal prosecutions, such as espionage cases, and to prevent so-called "graymail," in which a defendant threatens to release classified information in the hope of forcing the government to abandon the case.
In a nutshell, CIPA requires the defense to notify prosecutors and the court of any classified evidence it intends to introduce. Courts must then determine if the classified evidence is admissible. If so, the government may propose an unclassified substitution that does not involve classified information. But if the court finds that the unclassified substitution is inadequate to preserve the defendant's right to a fair trial, and if the Attorney General objects to disclosure of the classified version, then the indictment may be dismissed.
Perhaps assuming that the judge (or the defense) was unfamiliar with the law, prosecutors in the Thomas Drake case filed a motion (pdf) explaining the meaning of each section of CIPA.
The purpose of their CIPA tutorial was "to inform the Court of the applicability of CIPA and its procedures to issues involving classified information that will arise before and during the trial of this case," they wrote. See "Government's Motion for Pretrial Conference Under Section 2 of the Classified Information Procedures Act," May 5, 2010.
The development and early history of CIPA were reviewed by the Congressional Research Service in a March 2, 1989 report entitled "Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA): An Overview."
The use of CIPA to preserve defendants' rights while protecting classified information in criminal trials presents a stark contrast with the absence of any comparable procedure in civil trials, particularly those in which the government invokes the state secrets privilege to prevent the use of classified evidence.
"For almost 30 years, courts have effectively applied [CIPA] to make criminal trials fairer and safer," the Senate Judiciary Committee noted in a 2008 report on the pending State Secrets Protection Act. "Yet in civil cases, litigants have been left behind."
"Congress has failed to provide clear rules or standards for determining whether evidence is protected by the state secrets privilege. We've failed to develop procedures that will protect injured parties and also prevent the disclosure of sensitive information. Because use of the state secrets privilege has escalated in recent years, there's an increasing need for the judiciary and the Executive to have clear, fair, and safe rules," the Judiciary Committee report said.
A legislative response to the problems posed by the unilateral use of the state secrets privilege by the executive branch remains to be accomplished.
Wrap...
A TUTORIAL ON THE CLASSIFIED INFO PROCEDURES ACT
Last week, prosecutors in the case of Thomas A. Drake, the former NSA official who is charged with unlawfully retaining classified information that he allegedly disclosed to a reporter, asked the court to hold a pre-trial conference on the use of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) in that case.
CIPA was passed by Congress in 1980 to regulate the disclosure of classified information in criminal prosecutions, such as espionage cases, and to prevent so-called "graymail," in which a defendant threatens to release classified information in the hope of forcing the government to abandon the case.
In a nutshell, CIPA requires the defense to notify prosecutors and the court of any classified evidence it intends to introduce. Courts must then determine if the classified evidence is admissible. If so, the government may propose an unclassified substitution that does not involve classified information. But if the court finds that the unclassified substitution is inadequate to preserve the defendant's right to a fair trial, and if the Attorney General objects to disclosure of the classified version, then the indictment may be dismissed.
Perhaps assuming that the judge (or the defense) was unfamiliar with the law, prosecutors in the Thomas Drake case filed a motion (pdf) explaining the meaning of each section of CIPA.
The purpose of their CIPA tutorial was "to inform the Court of the applicability of CIPA and its procedures to issues involving classified information that will arise before and during the trial of this case," they wrote. See "Government's Motion for Pretrial Conference Under Section 2 of the Classified Information Procedures Act," May 5, 2010.
The development and early history of CIPA were reviewed by the Congressional Research Service in a March 2, 1989 report entitled "Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA): An Overview."
The use of CIPA to preserve defendants' rights while protecting classified information in criminal trials presents a stark contrast with the absence of any comparable procedure in civil trials, particularly those in which the government invokes the state secrets privilege to prevent the use of classified evidence.
"For almost 30 years, courts have effectively applied [CIPA] to make criminal trials fairer and safer," the Senate Judiciary Committee noted in a 2008 report on the pending State Secrets Protection Act. "Yet in civil cases, litigants have been left behind."
"Congress has failed to provide clear rules or standards for determining whether evidence is protected by the state secrets privilege. We've failed to develop procedures that will protect injured parties and also prevent the disclosure of sensitive information. Because use of the state secrets privilege has escalated in recent years, there's an increasing need for the judiciary and the Executive to have clear, fair, and safe rules," the Judiciary Committee report said.
A legislative response to the problems posed by the unilateral use of the state secrets privilege by the executive branch remains to be accomplished.
Wrap...
Thursday, April 29, 2010
But Not Always Accidental....
From Secrecy News:
RISE IN FRATRICIDE SEEN IN THE WAR ON TERROR
Incidents of fratricide in the U.S. war on terrorism increased in recent years, according to a new report (pdf) from the U.S. Army.
"Fratricide" -- the unintended killing or injury of friendly forces -- "is a harsh reality during combat operations," the study states. "Over the course of 2004-2007, the number of fratricide incidents increased, and experts speculate this is due to the high operational tempo and the reliance on technology during the current war."
According to official data, "there were 55 U.S. Army fratricide incidents from 11 September 2001 to 30 March 2008. Forty of these were Class A accidents" -- involving damage costs of $2 million or more and/or destruction of an Army aircraft, missile or spacecraft and/or fatality or permanent total disability -- "resulting in the deaths of 30 U.S. Army personnel."
Human error is a primary causal factor in many fratricide incidents, the study indicated, and "therefore, human error must be considered in the design and development of fratricide countermeasures, including both technical and human-centric solutions... Improved supervision and leadership may have the greatest potential to reduce U.S. fratricide incidents."
See "An Analysis of U.S. Army Fratricide Incidents during the Global War on Terror (11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008)" by Catherine M. Webb and Kate J. Hewett, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, March 2010.
Wrap...
RISE IN FRATRICIDE SEEN IN THE WAR ON TERROR
Incidents of fratricide in the U.S. war on terrorism increased in recent years, according to a new report (pdf) from the U.S. Army.
"Fratricide" -- the unintended killing or injury of friendly forces -- "is a harsh reality during combat operations," the study states. "Over the course of 2004-2007, the number of fratricide incidents increased, and experts speculate this is due to the high operational tempo and the reliance on technology during the current war."
According to official data, "there were 55 U.S. Army fratricide incidents from 11 September 2001 to 30 March 2008. Forty of these were Class A accidents" -- involving damage costs of $2 million or more and/or destruction of an Army aircraft, missile or spacecraft and/or fatality or permanent total disability -- "resulting in the deaths of 30 U.S. Army personnel."
Human error is a primary causal factor in many fratricide incidents, the study indicated, and "therefore, human error must be considered in the design and development of fratricide countermeasures, including both technical and human-centric solutions... Improved supervision and leadership may have the greatest potential to reduce U.S. fratricide incidents."
See "An Analysis of U.S. Army Fratricide Incidents during the Global War on Terror (11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008)" by Catherine M. Webb and Kate J. Hewett, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, March 2010.
Wrap...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UGH!
From Voice of San Diego...
Two area congressmen had some interesting things to say about illegal immigration in the last few days. U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter on Saturday told a Tea Party gathering that he supports deporting the children of illegal immigrants -- even if they are U.S. citizens by birth. The North County Times confirmed his quote and, though the Constitution seems to be clear that anyone born in the country gets citizenship, Hunter said it should take more to be a citizen. And U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, responding to questions about Arizona's new immigration law -- which gives police the mandate to check the residency status of anyone they might suspect of not having proper documents -- said law enforcement can tell if someone is here illegally by the clothes they wear and how they act among many factors.
Note: Both Repug assholes.
Wrap...
Two area congressmen had some interesting things to say about illegal immigration in the last few days. U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter on Saturday told a Tea Party gathering that he supports deporting the children of illegal immigrants -- even if they are U.S. citizens by birth. The North County Times confirmed his quote and, though the Constitution seems to be clear that anyone born in the country gets citizenship, Hunter said it should take more to be a citizen. And U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, responding to questions about Arizona's new immigration law -- which gives police the mandate to check the residency status of anyone they might suspect of not having proper documents -- said law enforcement can tell if someone is here illegally by the clothes they wear and how they act among many factors.
Note: Both Repug assholes.
Wrap...
And Still More Books On the Way....
From Publishers Lunch Weekly:
FICTION:
DEBUT....
Longtime CNN anchor Kitty Pilgrim's SINCLAIR, tracking abrilliant archaeologist and a renowned oceanographer as they join forces with a team of virologists trying to decode the genome of the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic, to Nan Graham and Roz Lippel at Scribner, in a two-book deal, by Mort Janklow at Janklow & Nesbit (World).
THRILLER...
O.J. Simpson prosecutor and NYT bestselling author Marcia Clark's debut GUILT BY ASSOCIATION, to Judy Clain at Little, Brown, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Dan Conaway at Writers House (World).
Thomas Koloniar's CANNIBAL REIGN, in a post asteroidal world where the sun has ceased to shine and human kind has begun to savagely feed upon itself, the last five green berets on earth have chosen to make a stand, to Matthew Benjamin at William Morrow, for publication in 2011, by Ian Kleinert at Objective Entertainment (NA).
GENERAL/OTHER...
Liza Palmer's WHITE PICKET FENCES AND OTHER CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, about a teacher at a private school whose world is rocked when her school's seemingly perfect new headmistress is killed by her seemingly perfect husband; and THE LAST SUPPER CLUB about an aspiring chef who, after a disastrous attempt to make it in NY, drags herself back to Texas, taking a job preparing last meals for condemned prisoners (simultaneously being developed by the agency's film/tv department as a television series), to Carrie Feron at William Morrow, by Christy Fletcher at Fletcher & Company.
Arturo Perez-Reverte's THE SIEGE, set during Napoleon's famous 19th-century siege of Cadiz, the only Spanish city never to fall to the French, to Jennifer Hershey at Random House, by Howard Morhaim at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency on behalf of Raquel de la Concha (NA).
Lorna Graham's THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, the story of a woman who moves to Manhattan in search of romance and excitement, only to find that her apartment is haunted by the cantankerous ghost of an old Beat Generation writer who wants her help in finishing his life's work, all as she tries to balance a new job at a morning news show, a budding friendship with a legendary fashion designer, and a search for clues to her mother's past, to Jennifer Smith at Ballantine Trade Paperbacks, at auction, for publication in Summer 2011, by Susan Golomb at the Susan Golomb Agency (World).
NONFICTION:
ADVICE/RELATIONSHIPS...
Author of the NYT bestseller Beautiful Boy, David Sheff's THE THIRTEENTH STEP, drawing on recent research and stories of the author's own and others' experiences to show what's wrong with how we approach addiction today and the best ways to treat and prevent it, again to Eamon Dolan at Penguin Press, for publication in spring 2011, by Amanda Urban of ICM.
BIOGRAPHY...
Garry Wills' THE SPIRITUAL CROSSING, a biography of the site of St. Augustine's baptism, to Stefan Vranka at Oxford University Press, by Andrew Wylie at The Wylie Agency.
HUMOR...
Star, writer, and producer of The Office, Mindy Kaling's THE CONTENTS OF MY PURSE, a series of comic essays, drawing in part on her blog "Things I Bought That I Love," sharing personal moments -- such as her ode to the most romantic moment in any relationship (when you can scrub your makeup off before you go to sleep and not feel self-conscious), a piece about the dress she can't wear anymore because it reminds her of one of her most embarrassing public moments, and the story of the day she was horrified to learn her boyfriend could fit into her jeans, to Suzanne O'Neill at Crown, for publication in fall 2011, by Richard Abate and Howard Klein at 3 Arts Entertainment (world).
MEMOIR...
Olympic gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu's OFF BALANCE, revealing the often-dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, her controversial "divorce" from her parents at age 17 -- and the recent shocking revelation that forced her to reexamine everything she thought she knew about her family and the sport she loves, to Michelle Howry at Touchstone Fireside, for publication in 2012, by Stephanie Abou at Foundry Literary + Media.
Figure-skating champion (and star of a reality show on the Sundance Channel) Johnny Weir's collection of entertaining anecdotes and essays about "everything from pop culture to skating to fashion to Johnny himself," to Jennifer Bergstrom at Gallery, for publication in January 2011, by Dan Strone at Trident Media Group (world).
Singer Susan Boyle's THE WOMAN I WAS BORN TO BE, about her unlikely journey to stardom, to Atria, by Richard Pine at Inkwell Management, and to Transworld in the UK, for publication in fall 2010, by Mark Lucas at Lucas Alexander Whitley.
NARRATIVE...
Roseanne Montillo's THE LADY AND HER MONSTERS, pitched as in the tradition of The Professor and the Madman, about the creation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, combining literary history with the story of the real life occultists and mad scientists who inspired Shelley to write her gothic masterpiece, to Henry Ferris at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, by Jake Bauman at Rob Weisbach Creative Management (NA).
Foreign: Jenny Meyer Literary Agency
Wrap...
FICTION:
DEBUT....
Longtime CNN anchor Kitty Pilgrim's SINCLAIR, tracking abrilliant archaeologist and a renowned oceanographer as they join forces with a team of virologists trying to decode the genome of the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic, to Nan Graham and Roz Lippel at Scribner, in a two-book deal, by Mort Janklow at Janklow & Nesbit (World).
THRILLER...
O.J. Simpson prosecutor and NYT bestselling author Marcia Clark's debut GUILT BY ASSOCIATION, to Judy Clain at Little, Brown, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Dan Conaway at Writers House (World).
Thomas Koloniar's CANNIBAL REIGN, in a post asteroidal world where the sun has ceased to shine and human kind has begun to savagely feed upon itself, the last five green berets on earth have chosen to make a stand, to Matthew Benjamin at William Morrow, for publication in 2011, by Ian Kleinert at Objective Entertainment (NA).
GENERAL/OTHER...
Liza Palmer's WHITE PICKET FENCES AND OTHER CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, about a teacher at a private school whose world is rocked when her school's seemingly perfect new headmistress is killed by her seemingly perfect husband; and THE LAST SUPPER CLUB about an aspiring chef who, after a disastrous attempt to make it in NY, drags herself back to Texas, taking a job preparing last meals for condemned prisoners (simultaneously being developed by the agency's film/tv department as a television series), to Carrie Feron at William Morrow, by Christy Fletcher at Fletcher & Company.
Arturo Perez-Reverte's THE SIEGE, set during Napoleon's famous 19th-century siege of Cadiz, the only Spanish city never to fall to the French, to Jennifer Hershey at Random House, by Howard Morhaim at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency on behalf of Raquel de la Concha (NA).
Lorna Graham's THE GHOST OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, the story of a woman who moves to Manhattan in search of romance and excitement, only to find that her apartment is haunted by the cantankerous ghost of an old Beat Generation writer who wants her help in finishing his life's work, all as she tries to balance a new job at a morning news show, a budding friendship with a legendary fashion designer, and a search for clues to her mother's past, to Jennifer Smith at Ballantine Trade Paperbacks, at auction, for publication in Summer 2011, by Susan Golomb at the Susan Golomb Agency (World).
NONFICTION:
ADVICE/RELATIONSHIPS...
Author of the NYT bestseller Beautiful Boy, David Sheff's THE THIRTEENTH STEP, drawing on recent research and stories of the author's own and others' experiences to show what's wrong with how we approach addiction today and the best ways to treat and prevent it, again to Eamon Dolan at Penguin Press, for publication in spring 2011, by Amanda Urban of ICM.
BIOGRAPHY...
Garry Wills' THE SPIRITUAL CROSSING, a biography of the site of St. Augustine's baptism, to Stefan Vranka at Oxford University Press, by Andrew Wylie at The Wylie Agency.
HUMOR...
Star, writer, and producer of The Office, Mindy Kaling's THE CONTENTS OF MY PURSE, a series of comic essays, drawing in part on her blog "Things I Bought That I Love," sharing personal moments -- such as her ode to the most romantic moment in any relationship (when you can scrub your makeup off before you go to sleep and not feel self-conscious), a piece about the dress she can't wear anymore because it reminds her of one of her most embarrassing public moments, and the story of the day she was horrified to learn her boyfriend could fit into her jeans, to Suzanne O'Neill at Crown, for publication in fall 2011, by Richard Abate and Howard Klein at 3 Arts Entertainment (world).
MEMOIR...
Olympic gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu's OFF BALANCE, revealing the often-dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, her controversial "divorce" from her parents at age 17 -- and the recent shocking revelation that forced her to reexamine everything she thought she knew about her family and the sport she loves, to Michelle Howry at Touchstone Fireside, for publication in 2012, by Stephanie Abou at Foundry Literary + Media.
Figure-skating champion (and star of a reality show on the Sundance Channel) Johnny Weir's collection of entertaining anecdotes and essays about "everything from pop culture to skating to fashion to Johnny himself," to Jennifer Bergstrom at Gallery, for publication in January 2011, by Dan Strone at Trident Media Group (world).
Singer Susan Boyle's THE WOMAN I WAS BORN TO BE, about her unlikely journey to stardom, to Atria, by Richard Pine at Inkwell Management, and to Transworld in the UK, for publication in fall 2010, by Mark Lucas at Lucas Alexander Whitley.
NARRATIVE...
Roseanne Montillo's THE LADY AND HER MONSTERS, pitched as in the tradition of The Professor and the Madman, about the creation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, combining literary history with the story of the real life occultists and mad scientists who inspired Shelley to write her gothic masterpiece, to Henry Ferris at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, by Jake Bauman at Rob Weisbach Creative Management (NA).
Foreign: Jenny Meyer Literary Agency
Wrap...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A Selection of Good Books Coming...
From Publishers Lunch Weekly...
FICTION
DEBUT...
Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction Contest winner Bernie McGill's first novel THE BUTTERFLY CABINET, based on a true event, revealing what really happened on the last day in the life of 4-year-old girl, from the alternating points of view of her mother, accused of killing her, and a former nanny who wants to unburden herself of a 70-year secret, to Wylie O'Sullivan at Free Press, for publication in summer 2011, by Anna Stein on behalf of Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander Associates (NA).
Matthew Olshan's MARSHLANDS, a tale of occupation, assimilation and treason pitched as in the tradition of Coetzee's WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS, beginning with a doctor's release from prison and moving backward in time to discover the nature of his crime, to Courtney Hodell at Farrar, Straus, by Seth Fishman at Sterling Lord Literistic (World).
Len Rosen's ALL CRY CHAOS, in which an aging interpol agent is investigating the bizarre murder of a famous Harvard mathematician and the confounding equation he left behind when a terrifying Bosnian war criminal exacts revenge from behind bars at the Hague and has his men hunt down his family, testing him like Job, until he begins to wonder if the cases are connected by a higher power, to Martin Shepard at The Permanent Press, by Eve Bridburg and Todd Shuster at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency (World).
PARANORMAL:
Julie Kenner, writing as J.K. Beck's books four through six in her soon-to-be-published Shadow Keeper series of paranormal romances about an age-old judicial system that is hidden within and mirrors our own, to Shauna Summers at Bantam Dell, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group (world).
THRILLER:
Kate Taylor's A MAN IN UNIFORM, a historical thriller novel set in 19th century Paris, told against the backdrop of a country struggling to redefine itself after the Dreyfus Affair scandal, to John Glusman at Harmony, for publication in December 2010, by Dean Cooke at The Cooke Agency (US).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Alison Pick's FAR TO GO, an epic historical novel set during the lead-up to Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia and the fate of one Jewish family, to Claire Wachtel at Harper Perennial, by Barbara Howson at House of Anansi Press.
Author of Bound South and A Soft Place to Land Susan Rebecca White's A PLACE AT THE TABLE, set in New York and Atlanta about the literary and culinary vanguards of those cities in the twentieth century, to Trish Todd at Touchstone Fireside, in a two-book deal, by Rebecca Oliver at William Morris Endeavor (World English).
Filmmaker John Sayles' long-shopped long historical novel, SOME TIME IN THE SUN, set during the U.S. occupation of the Phillippines at the turn of the twentieth century, to Dave Eggers at McSweeney's, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2011, by Anthony Arnove at Roam Agency (world English).
Paul Harding's ENON, set in the same fictional town as his Pulitzer-winning TINKERS, to Susan Kamil for Random House, at auction, sold at the end of 2009, in a two-book deal, by Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group (US).
UK CHILDREN'S:
Elizabeth George's first series for young adults, starting with THE EDGE OF NOWHERE, to Tim Hely-Hutchinson at Hachette UK, for four books, for publication beginning in 2011, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group (UK/Commonwealth).
NONFICTION
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson's THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, the story of how entrepreneurs are using web principles to rejuvenate manufacturing - and the economy - through open source, custom-fabrication and do-it-yourself design, predicting that we are about to see the collective potential of a million garage tinkerers unleashed on global markets, to John Mahaney at Crown, by John Brockman of Brockman (NA).
Business school professor and Deadhead Barry Barnes's MANAGEMENT SECRETS OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD, analyzing the band's remarkable thirty-year career, particularly their influence on the business world and the ways in which they pioneered ideas and practices that were subsequently embraced by corporate America, with an introduction by Grateful Dead songwriter John Perry Barlow, to Sara Weiss at Business Plus, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Howard Yoon of the Gail Ross Literary Agency.
HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:
What's the Matter with Kansas? and The Wrecking Crew author Thomas Frank's untitled book about the resurgence of conservatism in 2010, explaining how the right positioned itself to profit from the economic crisis, why it has flourished despite its discredited ideology, and what its revival means for America's future, to Sara Bershtel at Metropolitan, by Joe Spieler at The Spieler Agency (World).
MEMOIR:
73 year-old Kenyan conservationist, Dame Daphne Sheldrick's AN AFRICAN LOVE STORY, focused on the love story in the 1950s and 1960s between her and David Sheldrick, the charismatic wildlife campaigner for whom Dame Daphne left her then husband, to Eric Chinski at Farrar, Straus, and to Venetia Butterfield at Viking UK, in a pre-empt, by Patrick Walsh at Conville & Walsh.
German rights to Goldmann, in a pre-empt, and Dutch rights to De Boekerij, in a pre-empt.
Film rights sold previously to Peter Guber at Mandalay for Warner, with Walter Salles to direct, and the Imax rights sold separately to Imax, who start filming this summer in Kenya.
NARRATIVE:
GQ and Wired writer Jason Fagone's GENIUS IS NOT A PLAN, a narrative about four teams furiously competing to win the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize for the design of a clean, production-capable car that gets more than 100 mpg, also offering a look at the past and future of automotive innovation; the engineering of cars; and the archetype of the classic American inventor, to Rachel Klayman at Crown, by Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman Literary (world).
Foreign: kschulze@randomhouse.com
Jen Lin-Liu's GREAT NOODLE BAZAAR, a personal narrative arguing that the culinary exchanges along the Silk Road are not only the earliest examples of globalization, but more important, proof that the borders between Asia and Europe are more fluid than those created by nations, to Becky Saletan at Riverhead, by Chris Calhoun at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).
SCIENCE:
Dr. Norman Doidge's follow up to THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF, in which this expert on brain plasticity tells miraculous stories that further illustrate the brain is not hard-wired as previously thought, but flexible and dynamic, to Clare Ferraro at Viking, with Jim Silberman editing, for publication in 2013, by Chris Calhoun at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).
Wrap...
FICTION
DEBUT...
Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction Contest winner Bernie McGill's first novel THE BUTTERFLY CABINET, based on a true event, revealing what really happened on the last day in the life of 4-year-old girl, from the alternating points of view of her mother, accused of killing her, and a former nanny who wants to unburden herself of a 70-year secret, to Wylie O'Sullivan at Free Press, for publication in summer 2011, by Anna Stein on behalf of Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander Associates (NA).
Matthew Olshan's MARSHLANDS, a tale of occupation, assimilation and treason pitched as in the tradition of Coetzee's WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS, beginning with a doctor's release from prison and moving backward in time to discover the nature of his crime, to Courtney Hodell at Farrar, Straus, by Seth Fishman at Sterling Lord Literistic (World).
Len Rosen's ALL CRY CHAOS, in which an aging interpol agent is investigating the bizarre murder of a famous Harvard mathematician and the confounding equation he left behind when a terrifying Bosnian war criminal exacts revenge from behind bars at the Hague and has his men hunt down his family, testing him like Job, until he begins to wonder if the cases are connected by a higher power, to Martin Shepard at The Permanent Press, by Eve Bridburg and Todd Shuster at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency (World).
PARANORMAL:
Julie Kenner, writing as J.K. Beck's books four through six in her soon-to-be-published Shadow Keeper series of paranormal romances about an age-old judicial system that is hidden within and mirrors our own, to Shauna Summers at Bantam Dell, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group (world).
THRILLER:
Kate Taylor's A MAN IN UNIFORM, a historical thriller novel set in 19th century Paris, told against the backdrop of a country struggling to redefine itself after the Dreyfus Affair scandal, to John Glusman at Harmony, for publication in December 2010, by Dean Cooke at The Cooke Agency (US).
GENERAL/OTHER:
Alison Pick's FAR TO GO, an epic historical novel set during the lead-up to Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia and the fate of one Jewish family, to Claire Wachtel at Harper Perennial, by Barbara Howson at House of Anansi Press.
Author of Bound South and A Soft Place to Land Susan Rebecca White's A PLACE AT THE TABLE, set in New York and Atlanta about the literary and culinary vanguards of those cities in the twentieth century, to Trish Todd at Touchstone Fireside, in a two-book deal, by Rebecca Oliver at William Morris Endeavor (World English).
Filmmaker John Sayles' long-shopped long historical novel, SOME TIME IN THE SUN, set during the U.S. occupation of the Phillippines at the turn of the twentieth century, to Dave Eggers at McSweeney's, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2011, by Anthony Arnove at Roam Agency (world English).
Paul Harding's ENON, set in the same fictional town as his Pulitzer-winning TINKERS, to Susan Kamil for Random House, at auction, sold at the end of 2009, in a two-book deal, by Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group (US).
UK CHILDREN'S:
Elizabeth George's first series for young adults, starting with THE EDGE OF NOWHERE, to Tim Hely-Hutchinson at Hachette UK, for four books, for publication beginning in 2011, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group (UK/Commonwealth).
NONFICTION
BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:
Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson's THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, the story of how entrepreneurs are using web principles to rejuvenate manufacturing - and the economy - through open source, custom-fabrication and do-it-yourself design, predicting that we are about to see the collective potential of a million garage tinkerers unleashed on global markets, to John Mahaney at Crown, by John Brockman of Brockman (NA).
Business school professor and Deadhead Barry Barnes's MANAGEMENT SECRETS OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD, analyzing the band's remarkable thirty-year career, particularly their influence on the business world and the ways in which they pioneered ideas and practices that were subsequently embraced by corporate America, with an introduction by Grateful Dead songwriter John Perry Barlow, to Sara Weiss at Business Plus, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Howard Yoon of the Gail Ross Literary Agency.
HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:
What's the Matter with Kansas? and The Wrecking Crew author Thomas Frank's untitled book about the resurgence of conservatism in 2010, explaining how the right positioned itself to profit from the economic crisis, why it has flourished despite its discredited ideology, and what its revival means for America's future, to Sara Bershtel at Metropolitan, by Joe Spieler at The Spieler Agency (World).
MEMOIR:
73 year-old Kenyan conservationist, Dame Daphne Sheldrick's AN AFRICAN LOVE STORY, focused on the love story in the 1950s and 1960s between her and David Sheldrick, the charismatic wildlife campaigner for whom Dame Daphne left her then husband, to Eric Chinski at Farrar, Straus, and to Venetia Butterfield at Viking UK, in a pre-empt, by Patrick Walsh at Conville & Walsh.
German rights to Goldmann, in a pre-empt, and Dutch rights to De Boekerij, in a pre-empt.
Film rights sold previously to Peter Guber at Mandalay for Warner, with Walter Salles to direct, and the Imax rights sold separately to Imax, who start filming this summer in Kenya.
NARRATIVE:
GQ and Wired writer Jason Fagone's GENIUS IS NOT A PLAN, a narrative about four teams furiously competing to win the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize for the design of a clean, production-capable car that gets more than 100 mpg, also offering a look at the past and future of automotive innovation; the engineering of cars; and the archetype of the classic American inventor, to Rachel Klayman at Crown, by Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman Literary (world).
Foreign: kschulze@randomhouse.com
Jen Lin-Liu's GREAT NOODLE BAZAAR, a personal narrative arguing that the culinary exchanges along the Silk Road are not only the earliest examples of globalization, but more important, proof that the borders between Asia and Europe are more fluid than those created by nations, to Becky Saletan at Riverhead, by Chris Calhoun at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).
SCIENCE:
Dr. Norman Doidge's follow up to THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF, in which this expert on brain plasticity tells miraculous stories that further illustrate the brain is not hard-wired as previously thought, but flexible and dynamic, to Clare Ferraro at Viking, with Jim Silberman editing, for publication in 2013, by Chris Calhoun at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).
Wrap...
Sunday, April 18, 2010
So, Who?
This is a tough one...when Obama's term of President is up, who will we vote for? Shall we give him another term or should we choose someone else?
And who might that someone be? Who might run against Obama? Who might be willing to take on that horrendous job?
Given how things are going, it seems to me to be worth contemplating...
Wrap...
And who might that someone be? Who might run against Obama? Who might be willing to take on that horrendous job?
Given how things are going, it seems to me to be worth contemplating...
Wrap...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Peter Shurman is running against Jerry Brown....
I'd sure like to learn more from Peter Shurman (D) who is running for CA governor against Jerry Brown and the Repub candidates. He's suddenly just popped up on the scene. Had this email from him yesterday...here's part of it:
"Friends -
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for signing on to my campaign for Governor of California. The response since we launched this campaign just a little more than one week ago has been simply incredible.
We're picking up terrific press coverage, including a new Op-Ed published just moments ago, and tapping a well-spring of popular commitment to a prosperous, fair, and Democratic future for California. We're meeting with voters up and down the state, and taking part in major candidate forums. We've won our first major endorsement, from the Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles -- thank you, PDLA!
Our next big focus is the California Democratic Party Convention, this weekend in Los Angeles. It's a huge opportunity to make connections with local leaders from all over the state. We're here now busily preparing."
"Friends -
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for signing on to my campaign for Governor of California. The response since we launched this campaign just a little more than one week ago has been simply incredible.
We're picking up terrific press coverage, including a new Op-Ed published just moments ago, and tapping a well-spring of popular commitment to a prosperous, fair, and Democratic future for California. We're meeting with voters up and down the state, and taking part in major candidate forums. We've won our first major endorsement, from the Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles -- thank you, PDLA!
Our next big focus is the California Democratic Party Convention, this weekend in Los Angeles. It's a huge opportunity to make connections with local leaders from all over the state. We're here now busily preparing."
Thursday, April 08, 2010
New lawyers WORK....
Ian Graham's non-fiction book's Chapter One title is "I'm Going To Prison". And he does, but not because he's been bad.
UNBILLABLE HOURS is the true story of Graham's becoming a lawyer who, after graduating from law school, lands a job with a high-powered Los Angeles law firm. This is a place where new lawyers damned near get worked to death.
And in the process, Ian ends up with a pro bono case...and that's why the book is titled UNBILLABLE HOURS. The lawyers work for free.
So, UNBILLABLE HOURS is both a story about a new lawyer landing a job in a big firm and just what that's like, but also about what it takes to get an innocent person out of prison.
I was fascinated. The book, sent to me by its publisher, Kaplan, should be read by all law students. It's an education in itself.
Wrap...
UNBILLABLE HOURS is the true story of Graham's becoming a lawyer who, after graduating from law school, lands a job with a high-powered Los Angeles law firm. This is a place where new lawyers damned near get worked to death.
And in the process, Ian ends up with a pro bono case...and that's why the book is titled UNBILLABLE HOURS. The lawyers work for free.
So, UNBILLABLE HOURS is both a story about a new lawyer landing a job in a big firm and just what that's like, but also about what it takes to get an innocent person out of prison.
I was fascinated. The book, sent to me by its publisher, Kaplan, should be read by all law students. It's an education in itself.
Wrap...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Soldiers Killing Themselves...Why?
From Secrecy News...
ARMY GRAPPLES WITH "EPIDEMIC" OF SUICIDES
The U.S. Army is still struggling to come to grips with the unusually high rate of suicide within its ranks.
"The Army ratios are above the national average and in some months recently, there have been more suicides in the Army than combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan," observed Nancy Youssef of McClatchy News last week. "There is no pattern to suicides. One third who commit suicide have never served in combat; another third commit suicide while in combat; and yet another third do it once they return, according to Army statistics."
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh issued two directives on March 26 that are intended to further an understanding of the problem and to improve the availability of information to surviving family members.
Effectively immediately, all suspected suicides will be subject to an official (AR 15-6) investigation, the purpose of which is "to identify the circumstances, methods, and the contributing factors surrounding the event.... The completed investigation should provide clear, relevant, and practical recommendation(s) to prevent future suicides," according to Army Directive 2010-01 (pdf).
A second Army directive (pdf) provided guidance for reporting (and redacting) information to be provided to family members, who are to be "kept fully informed while the investigation is underway."
Although national security, third-person privacy and other FOIA-exempt information may be withheld, "the release authority cannot withhold information merely because it may be emotionally difficult for the surviving Family members to see or hear." However, "potentially upsetting information should be segregated from the body of the report and made available in a separate sealed envelope that is clearly marked as potentially upsetting information."
An updated official account of the number of Army suicides through the end of March will be published on Thursday, reported Sig Christenson of the San Antonio Express-News on April 2.
Wrap...
ARMY GRAPPLES WITH "EPIDEMIC" OF SUICIDES
The U.S. Army is still struggling to come to grips with the unusually high rate of suicide within its ranks.
"The Army ratios are above the national average and in some months recently, there have been more suicides in the Army than combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan," observed Nancy Youssef of McClatchy News last week. "There is no pattern to suicides. One third who commit suicide have never served in combat; another third commit suicide while in combat; and yet another third do it once they return, according to Army statistics."
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh issued two directives on March 26 that are intended to further an understanding of the problem and to improve the availability of information to surviving family members.
Effectively immediately, all suspected suicides will be subject to an official (AR 15-6) investigation, the purpose of which is "to identify the circumstances, methods, and the contributing factors surrounding the event.... The completed investigation should provide clear, relevant, and practical recommendation(s) to prevent future suicides," according to Army Directive 2010-01 (pdf).
A second Army directive (pdf) provided guidance for reporting (and redacting) information to be provided to family members, who are to be "kept fully informed while the investigation is underway."
Although national security, third-person privacy and other FOIA-exempt information may be withheld, "the release authority cannot withhold information merely because it may be emotionally difficult for the surviving Family members to see or hear." However, "potentially upsetting information should be segregated from the body of the report and made available in a separate sealed envelope that is clearly marked as potentially upsetting information."
An updated official account of the number of Army suicides through the end of March will be published on Thursday, reported Sig Christenson of the San Antonio Express-News on April 2.
Wrap...
Monday, April 05, 2010
36 Dead at US Consulate After Attack...
From Stratfor:
RED ALERT: U.S. Consulate Attacked In Pakistan
April 5, 2010
Three explosions, two rocket attacks and subsequent gunfire have been reported in the near vicinity of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 5. The attack occurred early afternoon local time when the consulate would have been full of both American and local employees. The death toll is reported at 36 but is expected to rise.
There are no assessments yet of the damage that the consulate building has sustained, but reports indicate that the explosions led to the collapse of other, adjacent buildings. Pakistani soldiers are also reported to be engaging militants in gunfire, indicating that militants are actively engaged in an attack near the area - possibly with the intention of breaching the U.S. consulate.
Many U.S. diplomatic missions (including the one in Peshawar) have a number of built in security features, such as a perimeter wall, ample stand-off distance between the buildings and the wall, reinforced concrete structure and windows and marines stationed inside to ward off attacks. While militant activity in the tribal belt of northwest Pakistan has led to regular attacks against targets of the Pakistani state, today’s assault against the consulate is an extremely rare direct attack on a U.S. target.
STRATFOR is monitoring the situation for more details. Monitor our coverage.
Wrap....
RED ALERT: U.S. Consulate Attacked In Pakistan
April 5, 2010
Three explosions, two rocket attacks and subsequent gunfire have been reported in the near vicinity of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 5. The attack occurred early afternoon local time when the consulate would have been full of both American and local employees. The death toll is reported at 36 but is expected to rise.
There are no assessments yet of the damage that the consulate building has sustained, but reports indicate that the explosions led to the collapse of other, adjacent buildings. Pakistani soldiers are also reported to be engaging militants in gunfire, indicating that militants are actively engaged in an attack near the area - possibly with the intention of breaching the U.S. consulate.
Many U.S. diplomatic missions (including the one in Peshawar) have a number of built in security features, such as a perimeter wall, ample stand-off distance between the buildings and the wall, reinforced concrete structure and windows and marines stationed inside to ward off attacks. While militant activity in the tribal belt of northwest Pakistan has led to regular attacks against targets of the Pakistani state, today’s assault against the consulate is an extremely rare direct attack on a U.S. target.
STRATFOR is monitoring the situation for more details. Monitor our coverage.
Wrap....
Thursday, April 01, 2010
What the Public Doesn't Know About Yet...
From Secrecy News...
BIOTERRORISM, CHANGES IN THE ARCTIC, AND MORE FROM CRS
New Congressional Research Service reports obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf):
"Federal Efforts to Address the Threat of Bioterrorism: Selected Issues for Congress," March 18, 2010.
"Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress," March 30, 2010.
"Deforestation and Climate Change," March 24, 2010.
"The Impact of Major Legislation on Budget Deficits: 2001 to 2009," March 23, 2010.
"GAO Bid Protests: An Overview of Timeframes and Procedures," March 15, 2010.
"GAO Bid Protests: Trends, Analysis, and Options for Congress," February 11, 2009.
"The Future of U.S. Trade Policy: An Analysis of Issues and Options for the 111th Congress," March 24, 2010.
"Europe's Preferential Trade Agreements: Status, Content, and Implications," March 22, 2010.
"F-35 Alternate Engine Program: Background and Issues for Congress," March 22, 2010.
"Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive," April 1, 2010.
A bill on government transparency that was introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) last week would finally make all non-confidential CRS reports publicly available online. There must have been a dozen such proposals that have been introduced in Congress over the last 15 years without effect, and it is not clear whether the latest iteration will fare any better.
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
Wrap...
BIOTERRORISM, CHANGES IN THE ARCTIC, AND MORE FROM CRS
New Congressional Research Service reports obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf):
"Federal Efforts to Address the Threat of Bioterrorism: Selected Issues for Congress," March 18, 2010.
"Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress," March 30, 2010.
"Deforestation and Climate Change," March 24, 2010.
"The Impact of Major Legislation on Budget Deficits: 2001 to 2009," March 23, 2010.
"GAO Bid Protests: An Overview of Timeframes and Procedures," March 15, 2010.
"GAO Bid Protests: Trends, Analysis, and Options for Congress," February 11, 2009.
"The Future of U.S. Trade Policy: An Analysis of Issues and Options for the 111th Congress," March 24, 2010.
"Europe's Preferential Trade Agreements: Status, Content, and Implications," March 22, 2010.
"F-35 Alternate Engine Program: Background and Issues for Congress," March 22, 2010.
"Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive," April 1, 2010.
A bill on government transparency that was introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) last week would finally make all non-confidential CRS reports publicly available online. There must have been a dozen such proposals that have been introduced in Congress over the last 15 years without effect, and it is not clear whether the latest iteration will fare any better.
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
Wrap...
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