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Electronic Privacy Information Center
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) focuses public attention on emerging civil liberties, privacy, First Amendmen issues and works to promote the Public Voice in decisions concerning the future of the Internet.
Senate Approves Weak Spam Legislation
The Senate has passed the CAN Spam Act. EPIC earlier testified before the Senate on the need for strong, effective measures to reduce spam. EPIC favors "opt-in" mailing lists, a private right of action for consumers, and freedom for states to pursue spammers, combined with technical measures and international cooperation. Members of the Privacy Coalition also announced a "Framework for Effective Spam Legislation." For more information, see the EPIC Spam page. (Oct. 23)
Senators Request JetBlue Investigation
A trio of senators have sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, calling for an investigation into whether the Department of Defense violated Privacy Act regulations in its dealings with JetBlue Airways. In the letter, Susan Collins (R-Me.), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) call on Rumsfeld to determine why Torch Concepts, a Department of Defense contractor, solicited passenger information from JetBlue and whether or not this action was a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. EPIC has filed expedited Freedom of Information Act requests with several federal agencies to learn more about the uses of the disclosed JetBlue passenger records. For more information, see EPIC's passenger profiling page. (Oct. 21)
Senate Passes Ban on Genetic Discrimination
The Senate has unanimously passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2003, S.1053 which prohibits discrimination in health insurance on the basis of genetic information. Employers are also prohibited from discriminating in hiring, promotions or in any other way on the basis of genetic information or on the basis of a request for genetic services, prohibited from requiring genetic tests or from purchasing genetic information. The legislation now goes to the House for debate. For more information, see EPIC's genetic privacy page. (Oct. 21)
Supreme Court to Review Nevada ID Law
The Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will consider Hiibel v. Sixth Judical District Court of Nevada, a case that will determine whether an individual who has not been arrested may refuse to identify himself to a law enforcement officer. EPIC and others will file a "friend of the court" brief. The Court will hear oral arguments in the case early next year. (Oct. 21)
EPIC Seeks Release of DOJ Patriot Lobbying Info
In court papers (pdf) filed this week, EPIC is seeking the expedited release of Justice Department records concerning the lobbying efforts of federal prosecutors to oppose revisions to the controversial USA PATRIOT Act. Despite widespread media coverage of the lobbying campaign, and questions as to its legality, DOJ has refused to expedite EPIC's disclosure request. (Oct. 15)
EPIC, PIRG Comment on Security Notices
In comments to the Department of the Treasury, EPIC and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group urged the agency to strengthen a proposed guidance on security notices to bank customers. The proposed guidelines specify when a financial institution must give notice to a customer when their personal information has been accessed without authorization. The comments urge the agency to expand the definition of "sensitive consumer information," and to require financial institutions to report statistical information on all security events to federal regulators. For more information, see the EPIC Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Page. (Oct. 14)
Privacy Report Slams Canada ID Plans
A Privacy International report finds serious flaws in a Canadian proposal for a national ID card that would require fingerprints and iris scans of all Canadians. The ID plan, which is currently being discussed at a conference on biometrics in Ottawa, would exceed Can. $7 billion and offer no security to the country. A Canadian parliamentary committee report also questioned the proposal. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada rejected the idea of a national ID, calling it "unworkable and unjustified.". See EPIC and PI's recent Privacy and Human Rights 2003 report for background and EPIC pages on National ID Cards and Biometrics. (Oct. 7
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Fedworld Homepage
Fedworld provides government information and resources for consumers.
Find a Federal Government Job
Search for open Government Jobs Updated Daily
Top Government Web Sites
Gain access to key agency and topical site
Search for Government Research & Development Publications
Locate Scientific and Technical Publications
from ALL Government agencies at www.ntis.gov
Locate Key Government Science and Technology Web Resource Sites
Provides the Scientist, Engineer, and Techno-minded citizen with easy, one-step access to valuable U S Government resources at www.scitechresources.gov/
Search FirstGov
Search 30 Million Government Web Pages Internal Revenue Service
Locate IRS archived Forms and Publications through Fedworld
Supreme Court Decisions
Search and view full text of Supreme Court Decisions issued between 1937 and 1975
Try simple job title words: computer, janitor, auditor, etc. However the government can come up with some interesting job titles, so you might want to be creative in what search terms you use. The "*" wild card character works great for this: for instance, scien* will fetch scien science sciences scientific and scientist. While many job areas will only have one or two listings, others, will have dozens. In these cases, try adding a second word - computer adjacent specialist - to narrow the search.
Series numbers: for every job title, OPM assigns a number to it. You can always tell if you are with a bunch of Federal workers when you hear them talk about series numbers. "I used to be a 0335, but I moved to 0334 a year ago." You can browse a list of series numbers/job titles to find a number.
To do a series search, just search for the series number. Doing a search on 1550 will find you all of the computer scientist positions, for instance (and perhaps other positions that might have 1550 in a contact phone number!).
Series and Grades: If you REALLY know how the Government personnel system works, you can get quite fancy and also search on a series and a specific grade (a grade is at what level most government employees salaries are set at. Grades are numbers 1 through 15). To do this, do a search like:
1550 [adjacent to] 15 or "1550 15"
This would find all computer scientist positions posted at the grade 15 level.
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State Search Notes
Currently, the state search doesn't work all that well - specially for specific states - VA, WA, OR, CO - are trouble states for this service. This database is a full text search - every search looks for the word in every bit of every announcement. That means if you search for VA, you are going to find a lot of announcements from the Department of Veterans Affairs because they start their announcement numbers with VA! Also many announcements are missing state abbreviations. Sigh. We suggest that you search on large city names in these cases. Otherwise, hang in there and hopefully we can find a technical fix in the near future!
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Using Remote Windows!
Viewing announcements in a remote window is a powerful feature for users who have access to large, hi-resolution, monitors. When this option is selected, once the hit list is returned, selecting any of the announcements will open a new web browser window with the contents of the announcement. Selecting a different announcement from the hit list will display the new announcement in the second window. This allows users to quickly browse through a hit list without having to use the back button to return to the hit list.
For real power users, there is yet a third option: searching from a third remote window! This option is available from the hit list page if you have selected to view announcements in a remote window. Selecting this link will open a third browser window that contains the normal search dialog. Conducting a search from this new window will send a new hit list to the original window.
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Energy - Petroleum, Oil, Gasoline, Crude, Natural Gas, Electric, Coal, Nuclear, Renewable, Solar
Energy Information Administration (U.S. Dept. of Energy) Energy Statistics, Data, and Analysis.
Annual Energy Review 2002 (10/24/2003)
U.S. energy history from 1949-2002 recorded in data tables and figures. All major forms of energy (fossil fuels, nuclear electricity, and renewable energy) and total energy by key activity (e.g., production, consumption, trade, stocks, and prices) are covered. Key long-term trends are summarized in "Energy Perspectives."
Australia Country Analysis Brief (10/22/2003)
For up-to-date information on Australia's energy sector, please see our new Country Analysis Brief. Also included are a map and links to other related web sites.
Accuracy of Petroleum Supply Data 2002 (10/21/2003) (PDF - 1 meg)
Accuracy of published data in the Weekly Petroleum Status Report, the Petroleum Supply Monthly, and the Petroleum Supply Annual.
Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten Through 12th Grade (10/21/2003) (PDF - 1 meg)
Provides a list of generally free or low cost energy related educational materials available for students and educators. This is the 15th Annual edition.
Oman Country Analysis Brief (10/20/2003)
For up-to-date information on Oman's energy sector, please see our new Country Analysis Brief. Also included are a map and links to other related web sites.
October 2003 Monthly Energy Chronology (10/17/2003)
For the latest information on world energy market events, please see our monthly energy chronology, updated through September 2003.
Petroleum Consumption, Prices and Expenditures -- Updated historical data (10/17/2003)
Petroleum Consumption, Prices and Expenditures, updated historical data and Notes.
Petroleum Consumption, Prices and Expenditures -- Updated with 2001 Data (10/17/2003)
The Consumption, Prices and Expenditures Petroleum Information has been updated with 2001 Data. Look for the new data under the red Petroleum oval.
Preparations for Meeting New York and Connecticut MTBE Bans (10/15/2003)
In response to a Congressional request, EIA examined the progress being made to meet the bans on the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) being implemented in New York and Connecticut at the end of 2003.
Thailand Country Analysis Brief (10/14/2003)
For up-to-date information on Thailand's energy sector, please see our new Country Analysis Brief. Also included are a map and links to other related web sites.
Thailand Expanded Environmental Section (10/14/2003)
For information on Thailand's energy usage patterns, carbon emissions, and other energy-related environmental issues, please see our updated, expanded environmental section.
Gabon Country Analysis Brief (10/09/2003)
For up-to-date information on Gabon's energy sector, please see our new Country Analysis Brief. Also included are a map, graph, and links to other related web sites.
Monthly Petroleum Time Series Data, by State -- an Update (10/08/2003)
EIA's Monthly Petroleum Product Time Series Data, by State, have been updated. Four sets of petroleum products time series have been updated: (1) Prices, (2) Sales -- Transportation Fuels, (3) Sales -- Other Fuels, (4)Stocks. The series start from January 1998 and go through July 2003. The data are extracted from the Oil and Gas Information Resource System (OGIRS). Click on the desired State on the US Map and then select the desired time series under Petroleum; Or, from the right column of the EIA States page you can go directly to the EIA Monthly Time Series Data for each State.
Monthly Natural Gas Time Series Data, by State -- An Update (10/08/2003)
EIA's Monthly Natural Gas Time Series, by State, have been updated. The updated series are: (1) Prices, and (2) Production & Use. The series start from January 1998 and go through May 2003. The data are extracted from the Oil and Gas Information Resource System (OGIRS). On the EIA States page, click on the desired State on the US Map and then select the desired time series under Natural Gas; Or, from the right column of the EIA States page you can go directly to the EIA Monthly Time Series for each State.
Short-Term Energy Outlook PC Model (10/07/2003)
The short-term forecasting model has been updated to the October base case data. The model provides simulations of supply, demand, and price for the major fuels through 2004 based on the October short-term forecast. In addition the assumptions behind the base forecast can be changed to show the effects of higher or lower world prices; colder or warmer weather. The results of each variation are generated in a spreadsheet for each major fuel.
Short-Term Energy Outlook October 2003 (10/07/2003)
Quarterly short-term energy projections for supply, demand, and price for the major fuels through 2003 for the U.S. International oil forecasts are included. Also included is the Winter Fuels Outlook 2003-2004.
2001 Residential Energy Consumption and Expenditures Data Tables (10/07/2003)
Preliminary "end use" data available! These data are from the 2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, which provides information on the use of energy in residential housing units in the United States.
OPEC Brief (10/07/2003)
An updated version of EIA's OPEC Brief is now available at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/opec.html Included in this revised report are the latest estimates of OPEC's surplus production capacity and production, as well as their effect on OECD commercial oil inventories. For further information on U.S. and World Oil Market forecasts, see EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html
Uruguay Country Analysis Brief (10/07/2003)
An updated Country Analysis Brief on Uruguay is now available. To access this report, the World Wide Web address is: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/uruguay.html Included in the report are the latest estimates of Uruguay's energy statistics, plus an up-to-date discussion of the country's energy sector developments.
Natural Gas Monthly - August 2003 (10/07/2003)
Natural and supplemental gas production, supply, consumption, disposition, storage imports, exports, and prices in the United States.
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Protecting Consumers from Fraud
The NFIC stems from the National Consumers League's longstanding commitment to protecting and promoting consumers' social and economic interests. NCL works extensively with the media to raise public awareness about telemarketing and Internet fraud. While the identities of consumers who contact the NFIC and the companies they report are shared only with law enforcement agencies, NCL can provide the media with information about the most prevalent telemarketing and Internet scams, how particular scams work, the latest trends, etc. Information from the NFIC web site can be reprinted with advance permission and attribution to: The National Fraud Information Center, a project of the National Consumers League.
Reporters should contact Holly Anderson in the NCL Public Affairs Department at 202-835-3323, fax 202-835-0747, or via e-mail. She will provide the desired information or arrange for interviews with the appropriate staff. Thank you for your help in the fight against consumer fraud!
Be aware that charges for many types of services can appear on your phone bill. In addition to billing for its own services, your phone company may bill you on behalf of other companies for services they sell such as voice mail, paging, or Internet access – even for club memberships and other types of services. Cramming is when a company charges you through your telephone bill for extra services that you never agreed to buy.
Read the fine print. Contest entry forms, product coupons, checks and other promotional materials could include an agreement to buy a service that will be charged to your phone number.
Beware of imposters. Someone posing as a representative from your phone company may try to trick you by asking about your satisfaction with your service or telling you about a service change. A “yes” answer to a question could be tape-recorded and used as proof that you agreed to buy a new service. Ask for the caller’s name and number, and contact your phone company to find out if the call was legitimate.
Look at “junk mail” carefully. It could be a “negative option” notice that you will be charged for a service unless you contact the company to cancel it.
Don’t return calls to numbers on your pager or voice mail that you don’t recognize. A crammer may use Automatic Number Identification to see the number you’re dialing from and process an unauthorized request for service.
Check your phone bill carefully. If you are unsure about charges that appear on your bill, call the number listed on that page for billing questions and ask for an explanation. Keep on checking, because even if the charges are removed one month, they may pop up again the next month.
You aren’t responsible for charges you never authorized. But it’s important to notify your local phone company about the problem and pay the rest of the bill on time.
Ask your local telephone company about “bill blocking.” There may be a way to prevent someone from putting charges for extra services on your phone bill unless you have confirmed directly with the phone company that you agreed to purchase them.
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