[govinfo] GovInfo News 7-20-2007

- FEMA Knew Of Toxic Gas In Trailers
- Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings: White House Says Hill Can't Pursue 
Contempt Cases
- Federal Contractor Misconduct Database
- Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) & GEOFRED
Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
www.openthegovernment.org
202.332.OPEN (6736)
- FEMA KNEW OF TOXIC GAS IN TRAILERS
By Spencer S. Hsu
Friday, July 20, 2007; Page A01
The Federal Emergency Management Agency since early 2006 has suppressed 
warnings from its own field workers about health problems experienced by 
hurricane victims living in government-provided trailers with levels of a toxic 
chemical 75 times the recommended maximum for U.S. workers, congressional 
lawmakers said yesterday. more [WPost]

Links:        House Oversight Hearing, Supplemental Memo and Exhibits
                FEMA's Travel Trailers:  Litigation Considerations v. Health 
and Safety Considerations...... and the winner is?
            Video of hearing

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- BROADER PRIVILEGE CLAIMED IN FIRINGS: WHITE HOUSE SAYS HILL CAN'T PURSUE 
CONTEMPT CASES
By Dan Eggen and Amy Goldstein
Friday, July 20, 2007; Page A01
Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive 
authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, 
saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt 
charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president 
has invoked executive privilege. more [WPost]
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- FEDERAL CONTRACTOR MISCONDUCT DATABASE
The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such 
as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations.  In the 
absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the 
Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. [POGO]

Link: Database

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- FEDERAL RESERVE ECONOMIC DATA (FRED)
FRED is a database of over 13,000 U.S. economic time series. Over 11,000 data 
series have been added to the regional data category in the database, including 
labor force and unemployment rate time series for every state, county, and 
metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the US. Also see the new data-mapping 
tool called GEOFRED, which displays color-coded data on the state, MSA, and 
county levels.
Links:      FRED
            GEOFRED

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