san antonio college
One of the Alamo Community Colleges

Library

Afghanistan

• Afghanistan Country Study and Government Publications
  The Illinois Institute of Technology links to the electronic version of the Afghanistan Country Study series and other similar U. S. government publications.
  
• Afghanistan Maps
  The Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection [ UT Austin ] provides a comprehensive listing of various types of maps of Afghanistan.
  
• Afghanistan: Maps, Stats, & Info Links
  Eurasianet.org collects web links to mapping and statistical information on Afghanistan.
  
• Afghanistan Studies
  The Academic Info search engine accesses White House, U. S. Department of Defense, U. S. State Department, United Nations, and other sources on Afghanistan.
  
• Afghanistan and the US
  The UC Berkeley Library has compiled a vast array of web sources on Afghanistan, including government statements, human rights information, maps, news sources, opposition groups, etc.
  
• Background Notes: Afghanistan
  This April 2005 update to the U. S. Department of State report series includes current summary data on the country of Afghanistan.

Awards

• Academy of Country Music
  With the goal "to support, promote, and enhance the advancement of country music worldwide," the ACM has been recognizing country music performers since 1965.
  
• Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
  Administered by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Emmy Awards recognize excellence in the television industry.
  
• American Theatre Wing's TONY Awards Website
  Named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, stage director and philanthropist who helped found the American Theatre Wing, the TONY awards are presented annually for ""distinguished achievement" in theatre.
  
• Caldecott Medal
  The Association for Library Service to Children presents this annual award to "to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children."
  
• Cannes Film Festival
  Created in 1946, the "Festival de Cannes" has a goal "to reveal and focus attention on works of quality in order to contribute to the progress of the motion picture arts and to encourage the development of the film industry throughout the world."
  
• Golden Globe Awards
  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association presents these annual Awards of Merit "to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television."
  
• Grammy.com
  Based on the voting of its membership, the Recording Academy awards excellence in the recording arts and sciences and lists GRAMMY winners by name of the award recipient, by categories within a genre, by year, by title of work and/or by the artist performing the work.
  
• National Book Awards
  Since 1950 the National Book Foundation has been recognizing outstanding achievements in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature.
  
• Newbery Medal
  Each year the Association for Library Service to Children awards this medal to "to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
  
• Nobelprize.org
  In addition to a historical record of previous award winners, this Nobel Foundation site provides news information and background profiles on the various Nobel prize winners.
  
• Official Academy Awards Database
  This database which lists past Academy Award winners and nominees can be searched by nominee name; film title; song title; award category or year, etc.
  
• Olympic Medal Winners
  Indexed by athlete, gender, medal results, nation, and sport, this IOC resource includes a historical listing of medal results for both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games from 1896 to the present.
  
• Poetry Society of America
  With the goal of "encouraging and rewarding excellence in poetry by both new and established poets," the PSA recognizes winners in 12 categories, including humanitarian themes, lyric poetry, philosophical poetry, student poetry, etc.
  
• The Pulitzer Prizes
  Covering 1917 through 2003, the Pulitzer Prize Board recognizes excellence in the fields of journalism, literature, music, drama, poetry, music, and photography .
  
• Sundance Film Festival
  Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute presents annual awards that are "dedicated to the development of artists of independent vision and the exhibition of their new work."
  
• Webby Awards
  The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences examines thousands of sites in its efforts "to identify the best of the Web."

Campus Violence

• Campus Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool Website
  The Office of Postsecondary Education compiles statistics on "alleged criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities and/or local police agencies." The data is available for an individual campus or a comparative group of campuses.
  
• Conference on School Safety
  Prompted by President George W. Bush's goal that "... schoolchildren should never fear [for] their safety when they enter into a classroom," this October 2006 conference provides action items and crisis planning information for school administrators, teachers, and government officials.
  
• Crime in Schools & Colleges
  This U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation 5-year study profiles the growing problem of violence in our nation's schools.
  
• Indicators of School Crime and Safety
  The National Center for Education Statistics releases this annual report that summarizes violent deaths, victimization, threats, etc. that plague our nation's school campuses.
  
• National School Safety Center
  Established by a 1984 presidential directive, the NSSC "serves as an advocate for safe, secure and peaceful schools worldwide and as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence."
  
• Practical Information on Crisis Planning
  This U. S. Department of Education resource is designed as a "step-by-step" guide for contingency planning for any type of school crisis.
  
• Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy
  This June 2007 joint report of the U. S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and U. S. Department of Justice summarizes recommendations for U. S. government response to school violence.
  
• School-Associated Violent Death
  The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled this brief glimpse into the phenomenon of campus violence.
  
• School Safety and Crisis Resources
  The National Association of School Psychologists has created a listing of resources focusing on acts of terrorism, crisis response, natural disasters, school violence, suicide, etc.
  
• Violent Victimization of College Students, 1995 - 2002
  This U. S. Bureau of Justice Statistics special report paints a grim portrait of violent crimes on our nation's college campuses.
  
• Virginia Tech Review Panel
  Appointed by Virginia Governor Tim Keane in wake of the VT campus violence, the panel strives to allow "citizens the opportunity to communicate pertinent information or to make comments about the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech."
  
• Virginia Tech - We Remember
  The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University web site commemorates the memory of the slain VT faculty and students through bulletin boards, photo galleries, and a video tribute.
  
• Virginia Tech - Special Reports
  • Massacre at Virginia Tech CNN
  • Massacre at Virginia Tech - MSNBC
  • Special Report on the Virginia Tech Shooting - U. S. News & World Report
  • Timeline: Tragedy Unfolds at Virginia Tech - BBCNews

Current Events

• Beijing 2008
  This is the official web site of the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, China in August 2008.
  
• Executive Paywatch
  The AFL-CIO reports on current salary trends for U. S. company executives and allows searching by company name, industry, and total compensation amounts.
  
• How Can I Get My Credit Report for Free?
  Under the provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, individuals are entitled to a free copy of their credit report from the three major reporting agencies once each year. In addition, a web site, AnnualCreditReport.com , was created to help consumers expedite the process.
  
• MyPyramid.gov
  By inputting your age, sex, and minutes of physical activity, this U. S. Department of Agriculture resource computes a tailored "food pyramid" plan with advice on what and how much to eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  
• radKIDS: Children's Safety Education
  "The radKIDS Program is providing children with hope, options, and practical skills to RECOGNIZE, AVOID, and, if necessary, ESCAPE violence and abuse." It provides child safety educational information, pamphlets, activity guides, etc. for parents and educators who want to keep their children safe in our dangerous world.
  
• Ready.gov
  This U. S. Department of Homeland Security web site includes information on how to plan and prepare for incidents of domestic terrorism.
  
• Recalls.gov
  Recalls.gov is an all-in-one resource for information on federal government recalls of various consumer products such as automobiles, boats, cosmetics, food, medicine, etc.
  

Domestic Surveillance

• Bush Defends Domestic Surveillance Program
  All Things Considered, a program of National Public Radio, provides an audio transcript of President Bush's defense presented in his January 23, 2006 speech at Kansas State University.
  
• The Debate Over Domestic Surveillance
  This National Public Radio Legal Affairs report includes Attorney General Gonzales' Congressional testimony, Bush's public statements, Department of Justice responses, and other public data to yield a complete overview of the surveillance issue.
  
• Electronic Surveillance Laws
  The National Conference of State Legislators has compiled a current listing of both state-enacted and federal surveillance laws.
  
• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA )
  The Electronic Privacy Information Center has developed a web site with an overview of FISA, news reports, USA-Patriot Act information, and other sources on domestic surveillance.
  
• The Government is Spying on Americans
  The American Civil Liberties Union reviews the domestic surveillance activities being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, and the Pentagon.
  
• Privacy / Homeland Security
  The Privacy Foundation based at the University of Denver College of Law focuses on "the privacy and security implications of this highly networked world."
  
• Privacy - Surveillance & Wiretapping Archive
  The Electronic Frontier Foundation has collected various public statements, special reports, Congressional bill filings, etc. that focus on the domestic surveillance controversy.
  
• Safe & Free - Surveillance
  With a mission to guard "your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs," the American Civil Liberties Union presents a series of news reports, legal documents, legislative materials, etc. on the topic of domestic surveillance.

Euthanasia

• Euthanasia and End of Life Decisions
  This Ethics Update section includes PowerPoint and symposia presentations, court decisions, legislative information, NPR programming, book / journal citations, online discussion forums, and other related web-based information resources.
  
• Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide
  Religioustolerance.org provides an overview of the Oregon state law, U. S. Supreme Court decisions, and other information that affects the recent Terry Schiavo case.
  
• Euthanasia and the Right to Die
  Professor Michael Kearl of Trinity University has created a resource that surveys both sides of the "right to die" issue and links to the companion site, Sociology of Death & Dying.
  
• Euthanasia Special Report
  BBC News presents an in-depth analysis of the complex issues that surround the euthanasia debate.
  
• International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
  This resource focuses on " the issues of euthanasia, assisted suicide, advance directives, assisted suicide proposals, "right-to-die" cases, euthanasia practices in the Netherlands, disability rights, pain control..."
  
• Is Euthanasia for Babies OK?
  This ABC News Original Report attempts to answer the question: "When is euthanasia for newborn babies a good idea?"
  
• National Right to Life
  This NRLC web site promotes the organization's efforts to "restore legal protection to innocent human life" and inks to the text of recent court decisions and the Bush administration's brief on the Terry Schiavo case.
  
• Public Agenda Issue Guides: Right to Die
  With the stated goal of producing quality "citizen education materials," Public Agenda explores the moral, ethical, and legal issues surrounding the euthanasia debate.
  
• The Terry Schiavo Case
  ABC News has compiled a listing of current events, legal issues, protests, video images, etc. that serve as the focal point of the Schiavo controversy.
  
• Voluntary Euthanasia Society
  This British organization "promotes greater patient choice at the end of life" by providing living wills information and other "patient choice" resources.

Global Warming

• Climate Change
  NewScientist.com has compiled a listing of news articles and background information on climatic change.
  
• EPA Global Warming Site
  Maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this site compiles "accurate information on the very broad issue of climate change and global warming in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society – communities, individuals, business, public officials and governments."
  
• Feeling the Heat: the Climate Challenge
  This Birch Aquarium web site provides a simple overview of the problems and challenges presented by global warming.
  
• Fight Global Warming
  A joint effort of Environmental Defense, the Ad Council, and the Robertson Foundation, this web site focuses on some of the most pressing dangers of global warming including the health effects, economic impact, and the disruption of the earth's ecosystems.
  
• Global Warming
  The Union of Concerned Scientists has compiled a resource that summarizes the scientific proof and provide possible solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.
  
• Global Warming: Early Warning Signs
  Sponsored by various environmental organizations, Global Warming summarizes current world-wide trends in heat waves, ocean warming, glacial melting, etc.
  
• Global Warming: Frequently Asked Questions
  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration answers basic questions about greenhouse gases, the effects of El Nino, the hydrologic cycles, rising sea levels, and other aspects of the global warming phenomenon.
  
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  A joint project of the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, the IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body "established to provide the decision-makers and others interested in climate change with an objective source of information about climate change."
  
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change
  As a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization, the Pew Center seeks to devise workable solutions to the problems caused by climatic changes.
  
• World Resources Institute
  The World Resources Institute's mission is "to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations."

Human Trafficking

• Campaign to Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking
  This U.S. Department of Human Services site "serves as the focal point for regional public awareness campaign activities and intensification of local outreach to identify victims of human trafficking."
  
• Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking
  In its efforts to fight human trafficking, the CTCAHT strives "to increase public awareness and identification of human trafficking cases, and to provide identified victims of human trafficking with comprehensive social and medical services."
  
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
  This non-governmental organization focuses on women's human rights and leads in the worldwide efforts "to combat sexual exploitation in all its forms, especially prostitution and trafficking in women and children."
  
• Human Trafficking
  GlobalRights.org works with various agencies and governments "to ensure that all responses to the trafficking of people into forced labor, slavery and servitude are based upon internationally-recognized human rights standards."
  
• Human Trafficking
  The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation web site provides background information on the problem and links to major federal efforts to combat the human trafficking.
  
• Human Trafficking
  As part of its mission to "promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, safety and stability of low-income Texans by providing high quality legal services and related educational services", Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid has spotlighted the problem as found on the Texas-Mexico border.
  
• Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery
  This source provides a country-by-country analysis of the worldwide epidemic of human trafficking.
  
• humantrafficking.org
  This resource strives to "bring government and NGOs in the East Asia and Pacific together to cooperate and learn from each other’s experiences in their efforts to combat human trafficking."
  
• Prevent Human Trafficking
  It focuses on the underlying causes of the problem and supports efforts to find workable solutions to the international human trafficking.
  
• Trafficking in Persons Report - June 2008
  The U. S. Department of State releases this annual report that highlights recent accomplishments and ongoing governmental efforts to "confront those who prey on the weakest and most vulnerable members of society."

Hunger

• Community Food Security Coalition
  This coalition of some 325 members is "dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to all people at all times."
  
• Feeding America
  Billed as the "Nation's Food Bank Network," Feeding America serves all 50 states and has distributed some 2 billion pounds of donated food through a network of 200 member food banks.
  
• Food Research & Action Center
  As a national organization with the goal "to eradicate hunger and under nutrition in the United States," FRAC publishes research reports, statistics, and information on the various federally funded food programs.
  
• Global Food Crisis
  Relief Web has compiled a detailed listing of government reports, news summaries, maps, FAQs, web resources and statistics on the problem of world hunger.
  
• The State of ...
  The various "State of ... " publications allow the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization to disseminate "the most recent world-wide information and analyses on major topics of its competence - food and agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, forests, food insecurity."
  
• World Food Situation
  Sponsored by the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization, this resource compiles data on food supply and demand, food prices, commodity trends, etc. and traces their effects on the global food market.
  
• World Food Programme
  This multi-lingual source includes a world hunger map, the current status of needy countries, research, refugee information, and focuses on improving the nutritional health of these most vulnerable populations.
  
• World Hunger Year
  Focused on the complex problem of global hunger, World Hunger Year "advances long-term solutions to hunger and poverty by supporting community-based organizations that empower individuals and build self-reliance, i.e., offering job training, education and after school programs; increasing access to housing and healthcare; providing microcredit and entrepreneurial opportunities; teaching people to grow their own food; and assisting small farmers."

Identity Theft

• Cleaning Up Your Credit
  Gerri Willis, CNNMoney writer, offers consumers a simple 5 step action guide to improving their credit standing and preventing identity theft.
  
• Consumer Focus: Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft
  The Federal Consumer Information Center presents an easy to use guide to how to avoid I D theft problems with toll-free phone numbers for various consumer credit reporting agencies .
  
• Data Theft and Identity Protection
  This University of Texas web site provides complete information on the March 2, 2003 theft of personal information from university records, including identifying those individuals affected, and detailing possible strategies to avoid such problems.
  
• Deter-Detect-Defend; Avoid I D Theft
  This is the Federal Trade Commission's "one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft."
  
• Identity Theft Resources
  The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has compiled useful information on what identity theft is and what the consumer can do to protect himself.

Immigration

• ACLU Immigration Rights
  This American Civil Liberties Union site provides information on immigrant and worker rights with current analysis of federal policies and legislative reform efforts.
  
• America's Immigration Quandary: No Consensus on Immigration Problem or Proposed Fixes
  The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press presents findings of its 2006 immigration survey with analyses of 2,000 national responses and over 800 responses from five major metropolitan area.
  
• Center for Immigration Studies
  This non-profit, nonpartisan organization's mission is "to expand the base of public knowledge and understanding of the need for an immigration policy that gives first concern to the broad national interest." ed
  
• The Immigration Debate
  National Public Radio has produced a comprehensive program on the 2006 - 2007 congressional efforts to devise a workable plan to control illegal immigration while preserving the immigrants' rights.
  
• Federation for American Immigration Reform
  Touting the support of 250,000 members, FAIR "seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest—more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year."
  
• Immigration Statistics
  This U. S. Department of Homeland Security resource includes statistical information, demographic profiles, naturalization trends, and the 2006 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.
  
• TRAC Immigration
  Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) is intended "to provide the American people — and institutions of oversight such as Congress, news organizations, public interest groups, businesses, scholars and lawyers — with comprehensive information about staffing, spending, and enforcement activities of the federal government."
  
• Truth in Immigration
  The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) compiled this web site "to serve as a watchdog for communications about immigrants and to research, collect, and rebut legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants that are disseminated and promoted in the media, the public messaging of anti-immigration organizations, and political campaigns."

Intelligent Design

• AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion - Evolution
  With the mission to "advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people," the American Association for the Advancement of Science has prepared a detailed report on the current cultural debate on evolution.
  
• Creationism: Introduction
  BBC Religion & Ethics has created a comprehensive resource that summarizes the key arguments in the ongoing debate of creationism vs. intelligent design.
  
• Discovery Institute
  Using its search engine, the researcher can access the Discovery Institute's collection of some 170 articles on the topics of creationism and intelligent design.
  
• Intelligent Design?
  This reprint of a April 2002 Nature Magazine article provides debate from proponents of both intelligent design and evolution with an attached listing of other web sites on the topic.
  
• Intelligent Design in American Classrooms
  National Public Radio released a special report focused on the current debate over teaching the theory of intelligent design in American classrooms.
  
• National Center for Science Education
  As noted on the web site, the National Center for Science Education "defends the teaching of evolution in public schools," and provides information on the full scope of the evolution vs. creationism debate.
  
• Taking Issue: Evolution and Religious Faith
  Using conversations with representatives from the Catholic, Episcopal, Evangelical, Jewish, and Muslim faiths, National Public Radio addresses the controversy surrounding evolution and religion.

Iran Crisis

• In Focus: IAEA and Iran
  The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) presents a comprehensive history and analysis of the Iran nuclear debate with links to major documents, interviews, policy statements, resolutions, etc.
  
• Iran
  The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace focuses international efforts to control nuclear proliferation in Iran and posts links to various journal articles, government documents, policy statements, etc.
  
• Iran: A Country Study
  This Library of Congress resource contains a complete overview of the country of Iran, including its economy, education, geography, governmental structure, national security, religious life, social conditions, etc.
  
• Iran Special Collection
  The Monterey Institute of International Studies has compiled a series of links with general information on the country of Iran, its current nuclear status, missile technology, biological / chemicals weapons, etc .
  
• Iran Special Weapons Guide
  This Federation of American Scientists site reviews Iran's biological, chemical, and nuclear weapon capabilities, pinpoints facilities within the country, and links to various Iran government agencies.
  
• Q & A: Iran's Nuclear Stand-off
  BBC News presents an analysis of the current impasse between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran over its the status and planned use of nuclear materials.
  
• Pars Times
  This non-profit web site provides access to information on Iran and the Middle East, including business, history, news, personal finance, travel, weather, etc.
  
• Terror and Tehran
  This PBS Frontline special report discusses Iran as "an axis of evil," and includes a chronology of U.S.-Iran relations, interviews, background materials, etc.

Iraq War

• Beyond the War in Iraq
  This National Public Radio special report focuses on the pressing social and economic issues central to the rebuilding of Iraq.
  
• Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction
  Released on September 30, 2004, these pdf-formatted documents present the key findings of Mr. Charles Duelfer (including a March 2005 addenda) on the question of Saddam Hussein and Iraqi WMDs.
  
• Conflict with Iraq
  This BBC News site includes background information such as maps of Iraqi bases, army bases, oilfields, weapon sites, etc., profiles of key players in the conflict, and relevant documents.
  
• The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
  Dating back to September 11, 2001, this Congressional Research Service study provides overall war cost estimates and projects future trends in defense spending.
  
• Faces of Valor: A Photo Tribute to the Men & Women of Operation Iraqi Freedom
  Gen. Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that "these photographs highlight what has been a fantastic team effort" of the U.S. military in the Iraqi war.
  
• Frontline: The Invasion of Iraq
  This February 2004 PBS documentary focuses on the military strategies and major battles in the ongoing war in Iraq and includes a chronology of events, interviews, video clips, etc.
  
• Government Views of Iraq
  The City College of New York has compiled this detailed listing of presidential documents, congressional hearings, press briefings, United Nations sources, and publications from the various "Coalition of the Willing" countries.
  
• Iraq - A Country Study
  This online version of the U. S. Department of State "country study / area handbook" series examines Iraq 's cultural traditions, political / economic system, and social institutions.
  
• Iraq and the U. S. Conflict
  The Journalist's Toolbox has provided a continually expanding inventory of web sites on the worsening U.S. - Iraq situation.
  
• Iraq Crisis
  The Global Policy Forum has a collection of articles on the escalating crisis in Iraq, including information on the issues of U.N. sanctions.
  
• Iraq War Debate - 2002 /2003
  The University of Michigan's Documents Center has produced a browseable directory of resource links focused on the question of war with Iraq.
  
• Iraq Watch
  Taking an activists's approach, Znet has organized various articles "to prepare yourself to deal with discussing and organizing about the war on Iraq."
  
• Operation Iraqi Freedom
  This U. S. Air Force source provides current information on the Iraqi war, including news reports, photographs, operational information, links to related sites, etc.
  
• Postwar Findings about Iraq's WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments
  Released in September 2006, this 151-page U .S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is a formal review of the U. S. intelligence agencies' procedures and failures on the analysis of the threat of Saddam Hussein and the situation in Iraq.
  
• United States Hails Iraq Ratification of Security Pact
  The American.gov website analyzes the recently approved U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that calls for a full withdrawal of American forces by the end of 2011.
  
• War in Iraq
  CNN.com has produced a series of special reports that focus on the latest development on the U. S. - Iraqi war.
        Forces: U.S. and Coalition Casualties
        Iraq: Transition of Power
        War in Iraq
  
  
• The War on Terrorism: Post-Saddam Iraq
  East Carolina University's Joyner Library has compiled a select list of web links to Internet sites focused on the United States-Iraq confrontation.

Iraq War Update

• Benchmark Assessment Report
  To meet the requirements of Public Law 110-28, this White House report "includes an assessment of how the sovereign Government of Iraq is performing in its efforts to achieve a series of specific benchmarks contained in the Act, as well as any adjustments to strategy that may be warranted in light of that performance."
  
• House Committee on Foreign Affairs
  The House Committee on Foreign Affairs web sites provides access to press releases, committee meeting schedules, hearing information and transcripts, etc.
  
• Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq
  As directed by congressional action, this U. S. Defense Department web site links to the quarterly reports on the status of the war in Iraq.
  
• Report of the Independent Commission on the Security Forces in Iraq
  Pursuant to Public Law 110-28, the commission released its September 8, 2007 findings on the "readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces to assume responsibility for maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq."
  
• Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq
  This source is the full-text transcript of General David H. Patreus' testimony before the U. S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 11-12, 2007, and includes various maps, charts, graphs, etc. as supporting documentation.
  
• Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq
  Using a "Met / Partially Met / Not Met" scale, this September 2007 U. S. Government Accountability Office study accesses the progress of the Iraq government in reaching established legislative, security, and economic benchmarks.
  
• Stand Up and Be Counted: The Continuing Challenge of Building the Iraqi Security Forces
  The final report of the U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services has the goal of "investigating and assessing the capability and professionalism of the ISF."
  
• Statement of Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq...
  This is the transcript of Ambassador Crocker's testimony before the Joint Hearing of the U. S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the U. S. House Committee on Armed Services on September 10, 2007.
  
• U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007   [ Public Law 110-28 ] Chapter 3, Section 1314 of this federal law called for the various reports noted above as a requirement prior to passage of the 2007 war appropriations bill.

Iraqi Prisoners

• Abuse Of Iraqi POWs By GIs Probed
  In this 60 Minutes special report, Correspondent Dan Rather conducts interviews and provides background information on the growing scandal.
  
• Bush Administration Documents on Interrogation
  The Washington Post has compiled a summary of the various documents, memos, letters, and reports released by the Bush administration on White House, Pentagon and Justice Department discussions about prisoner interrogation policies.
  
• Iraqi Abuse Photos Spark Outrage
  The BBC News has released a special report on the prison abuse problem with related background new stories and photographs.
  
• Legal Debate Over U.S. Interrogation Policies
  The FindLaw legal reference web site has collected a series of memos and other U.S. Department of Defense correspondence on the interrogation procedures to be used on al Qaeda / Taliban detainees and Iraqi prisoners of war.
  
• Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the Treatment by the Coalition Forces of Prisoners of War and Other Protected persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq During Arrest, Internment and Interrogation
  This PDF format document presents the full report released by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the status of coalition-held Iraqi prisoners of war.
  
• Sworn Statements by Abu Ghraib Detainees
  The Washington Post has released PDF format English translations "of previously secret sworn statements by detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Some of the names have been withheld from these statements by washingtonpost.com because they are alleged victims of sexual assault. "
  
• The Taguba Report on Treatment of Abu Ghraib Prisoners In Iraq
  This is the complete text of the report filed by Major General Antonio M. Taguba on the 800th MP Brigade's operations at the Abu Ghraib Prison.
  
• War on Terror
  Amnesty International has released a detailed report focusing on its concerns about the current practice of prisoner detentions resulting from U. S.-led "war on terror".

Lobbying

• American League of Lobbyists
  The American League of Lobbyists seeks to "promote ethical lobbying through its Lobbying Code of Ethics."
  
• LobbyingInfo.org
  Sponsored by Public Citizen, a national, non-profit public interest organization, this resource "serves as a tool to help the media and public track the influence of special interests in Congress and the executive branch."
  
• Political Advocacy Groups: A Directory of United States Lobbyists
  Compiled by Kathi Carlisle Fountain, a reference librarian at Washington State University, this directory has a subject listing of major lobbying groups. It contains address, phone, email, web site URL, and a brief description of the group's purpose.
  
• United States House of Representatives -Lobbying Disclosure
  Maintained by the Clerk of the U. S. House of Representatives, this source provides information on how the public can access official documents on travel, income, gifts, etc. of members, officers, and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives.
  
• United States Senate - Lobbying
  This U. S. Senate web site serves as a one-stop resource for information on Congressional lobbying, and includes information on the history, legal basis, and registration process for lobbyists.

News Reporting Outlets

• ABCNEWS.com
  This ABC site presents continuously updated information on current news events with links to the network's 20/20 and Nightline television programs.
  
• AP- Associated Press
  This web site provides regional links to the day's top news stories
  
• BBC News
  Launched by one of the largest international news gathering agencies, BBC News Online provides news information and analysis of events around the world.
  
• CNN Interactive
  The Cable News Network web site delivers up-to-the-minute coverage of the day's top news stories and events.
  
• Chicago Tribune
  The internet edition of the Chicago Tribune continues a long history of outstanding national news coverage.
  
• Christian Science Monitor Electronic Edition
  This electronic version of the highly respected national newspaper provides outstanding coverage of the day's news events.
  
• Guardian Unlimited
  Considered as the "UK's most popular newspaper website," Guardian Unlimited accesses world-wide news information and links to web versions of The Guardian and The Observer.
  
• HoustonChronicle.com
  The Houston Chronicle newspaper contains daily news items with a southwestern slant.
  
• Los Angeles Times
  West coast new events are the focus of the area's premier news gathering organization.
  
• MSNBC
  Using the combined resources of Microsoft and the NBC network,MSNBC effectively reports on "breaking" national and international new stories.
  
• The New York Times on the Web
  The web-edition of the New York Times contains the finest features of this award-winning daily newspaper.
  
• USAToday
  USAToday.com includes full coverage of the day's major news stories.
  
• washingtonpost.com
  Based in the nation's capitol, the Washington Post covers the full range of federal government activities that affect our daily lives.

Non-Profit Organizations

• ACLU Freedom Network
  Drawing from its mandate to preserve "The Bill of rights," the American Civil Liberties Union uses the WWW to help guarantee the U.S. Constitution's individual freedoms.
  
• Amnesty International Online
  Under the guidance of its "Universal Declaration of Human rights," this international organization champions human rights throughout the world.
  
• Brookings Topics
  Highlighting reports released by the Brookings Institution, a private, non-profit research organization, this web site spotlights efforts to improve the overall performance of governmental agencies.
  
• Project Vote Smart
  This national non-partisan, non-profit organization provides voting records, performance appraisals, and position papers on current issues.

North Korean Challenge

• Agreed Framework Between the United States of America and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  This is the full text of the October 21, 1994 Geneva agreement that addressed future North Korean nuclear development.
  
• In Focus: IAEA and DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea )
  This International Atomic Energy Agency site provides a detailed analysis of efforts to ensure that various countries comply with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
  
• North Korea - A Country Study
  As part of the U. S. Department of State's country series, this site profiles the cultural, political, economic, social, etc. institutions in North Korea and their implication on relations with the United States.
  
• North Korea: Nuclear Tension This updated CNN.com Special Report provides a comprehensive overview of the current U. S. - North Korea standoff.

Poverty

• Center on Hunger & Poverty
  With a target of low-income families, the Center supports research and provides recommendations to policy makers through special reports, statistics, and links to additional sources.
  
• Global Distribution of Poverty
  A project of Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Global Distribution of Poverty has a mission "to enhance current understanding of the global distribution of poverty and the geographic and biophysical conditions of where the poor live."
  
• Institute for Poverty Research
  Through its database of papers, reports, and research summaries, the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) focuses on the various underlying causes and far-reaching consequences of poverty in America.
  
• National Center for Children in Poverty
  Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has a stated purpose "to identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty in the United States and that improve the lives of low-income children and their families."
  
• National Poverty Center
  The University of Michigan's NPC is tasked "with promoting high-quality research on the causes and consequences of poverty, evaluating and analyzing policies to alleviate poverty, and training the next generation of poverty researchers."
  
• PovertyNet
  The World Bank Group has compiled this keyword searchable resource for locating information and statistics on the global problem of poverty.
  
• A Profile of the Working Poor
  The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics has produced this demographic profile of the working poor with information on educational levels, occupations, race and ethnicity, and other social characteristics.
  
• Public Agenda Issue Guides: Poverty &Welfare
  Established as both a nonpartisan and non-profit organization, Public Agenda was created to help:
  1. American leaders better understand the public's point of view.
  2. Citizens know more about critical policy issues so they can make thoughtful, informed decisions.

Same-Sex Marriages

• Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-Sex Unions
  The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops states it position that marriage "... can only be the union of a man and a woman and must remain such in law."
  
• Equal Marriage NOW
  The National Organization of Women presents its viewpoints on the same-sex marriage controversy and includes a history of the debate from 1996 to the present.
  
• Gay Rights and Gay Marriage: Chronology of Events
  About.com has compiled a timeline of significant events in the same sex marriage debate from 1553 to 2004.
  
• Marriage / Partner Recognition
  The Gay and Lesbian Task Force has created an informational site for those individuals "who are grappling with the issue of marriage equality for same-sex couples" with legal briefs, testimony transcripts, polling results, etc.
  
• Massachusetts Law About Same Sex Marriage
  The Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries summarizes current state court cases and links to additional legal resources on same sex marriage.
  
• Same Sex Marriage: Til Death Do Us Part?
  The Family Research Institute outlines the argument for their belief that "homosexual marriage is a bad idea."
  
• Same Sex Marriage News
  The New York Times has compiled a comprehensive collection of news stories that highlight the complex issues surrounding same sex unions.
  
• Same-Sex Marriages (SSM) and Civil Unions
  Religious Tolerance.org provides an overview of the SSM issue, a profile of state marriage laws, and up-to-date information on civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Space Exploration

• Cassini-Huygens: Mission to Saturn & Titan
  The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA has compiled a comprehensive overview of the Cassini mission including status reports, photographic imagery, and educational activities for children.
  
• Final Report of the International Space Station Independent Safety Task Force
  Released in February 2007, this report "assesses vulnerabilities of the International Space Station (ISS) that could lead to its destruction, compromise the health of its crew, or necessitate its premature abandonment."
  
• International Space Station
  NASA maintains a daily log of ongoing activities aboard the ISS, including ham radio broadcast specifications, photo galleries, tracking information, and complete expedition profiles.
  
• NASA: Current Missions
  This resource links to some 60 different space explorations programs currently being conducted by the National Aeronautics & Space Adminstration
  
• NASA Human SpaceFlight
  This NASA source contains detailed profiles of the various space shuttle flights and background information on the mission objectives.
  
• NASA's Mars Exploration Program
  With special features for children, students, and teachers, this is NASA's primary web source for a complete overview of the ongoing exploration of the Martian surface, the Spirit rover lander's capabilities, and a review of previous missions to Mars.
  
• New Horizons: NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission
  The aim of the New Horizons missions is to conduct the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Charon and then to explore the various objects in the Kuiper Belt region.
  
• Space Shuttle
  This NASA web site presents current, up-to-date information on scheduled Space Shuttle launches with crew profiles, mission summaries, photographs, timelines, and other interactive resources.

Stem Cell Research

• AAAS Policy Brief: Stem Cell Research
  The American Academy for the Advancement of Science highlights its position statement on the ongoing stem cell research debate.
  
• Article Topics: Stem Cell Research
  Bioethics.net presents a series of news stories on the stem cell topic and articles that originally appeared in the American Journal of Bioethics.
  
• California Stem Cell Research & Cures Initiative
  This coalition of medical / patient groups and business organizations supported Proposition 71. Approved by California voters in November 2002, Proposition 71 calls for the creation of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, allocates some $ 3 billion dollars to research, and establishes California as the nation's leader in stem cell research.
  
• Remarks by the President on Stem Cell Research
  This White House web site links to printed, video, and audio tape versions of President Bush's August 9, 2001 comments on stem cell research.
  
• The Stem Cell Debate
  This CNN.com Special Report focuses on the primary issues and notes both the scientific and political aspects of the stem cell controversy.
  
• Stem Cell Information
  The National Institutes of Health provides information on federal policy, stem cell registry, research projects and protocols, funding sources, and FAQs on stem cell research.
  
• Stem Cell Research
  The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has prepared a series of fact sheets and transcripts of congressional testimony that underscore their position on stem cell research.
  
• Stem Cell Research: All Sides of the Dispute
  Religious Tolerance.org compiled an overview of the stem cell research, including background information, legal and ethical issues, President Bush's plan, and other related information.
  
• Stem Cell Research and Applications - Monitoring the Frontiers of Biomedical Science
  The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Institute for Civil Society have released a PDF-formatted study that proposes guidelines for conducting stem cell research.
  

Taxes

• 1040.com
  A tax information source that contains URL links to current tax rates, IRS bulletins, federal and state forms, state revenue offices, and other tax topics.
  
• The Digital Daily
  The U. S. Internal Revenue Service official web site includes business & personal tax information, electronic filing services, IRS forms & publications, tax rules & regulations, and general taxpayer helps.
  
• IRS Forms & Publications
  This website links the taxpayer to PDF format downloadable tax forms, instructions, etc. that can be used to file 2004 income tax returns.
  
• State Tax Central
  This site provides current state-specific information on the following types of taxes: corporate & individual income, personal property, and sales / use.
  
• U. S. Tax Code On-Line
  This database indexes and accesses the full-text version of the Internal Revenue Code (title 26 U.S. Code).
  
• Yahoo! Tax Center
  This web site contains WWW links to a full range of tax information, including: federal and state income tax policies and forms, personal finances, and other tax-related sites.
  

Teen Pregnancy

• Healthy Teen Network
  This national organization is "focused on adolescent health and well-being with an emphasis on teen pregnancy prevention, teen pregnancy, and teen parenting."
  
• Guttmacher Institute
  Named in honor of obstetrician-gynecologist, and reproductive rights leader, Alan F. Guttmacher , this nonprofit organization has a goal of advancing "sexual and reproductive health through an interrelated program of social science research, policy analysis and public education."
  
• National Adolescent Health Information Center
  Based at the University of California at San Francisco, the NAHIC functions as a clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information on the health and well-being of adolescents.
  
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
  With a stated goal of reducing teen pregnancy by one-third from 2006 to 2015, this privately funded nonprofit group seeks to raise awareness and provide resources for parents, educators, community leaders, and youth.
  
• NOAH - New York Online Access to Health
  With the goal of providing "access to high quality full-text consumer health information in English and Spanish that is accurate, timely, relevant and unbiased, " NOAH has compiled a comprehensive resource on the various aspects of pregnancy.
  
• Project Worth
  Project Worth's goal is "to help the youth of San Antonio and Bexar County make healthy choices and postpone pregnancy" and includes information on abstinence, FAQs, parent guides, teen clinics, etc.
  
• Scarleteen
  This privately-sponsored web site is focused on providing sexual health information that augments what teens learn at home and in school.

Terrorism

• Global Terrorism Database
  Developed as a project of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terror (START), the GTD accesses information on worldwide terrorism from 1970 - 2008, and includes "the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, etc."
  
• Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
  The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) is "a non-profit, nationally recognized think tank creating state-of-the-art knowledge bases and sharing information on terrorism."
  
• National Strategy for Combatting Terrorism
  This September 2006 White House report states " that we are at war and that protecting and defending the Homeland, the American people, and their livelihoods remains our first and most solemn obligation."
  
• National Security Strategy of the United States of America
  Issued in March 2006, this White House document summarizes the Bush administration's policy that "the United States must defend liberty and justice because these principles are right and true for all people everywhere."
  
• Patterns of Global Terrorism
  With an archive of reports dating back to 1995, this annual U. S. Department of State report focuses on terrorist groups and their activities throughout the world, and includes charts, statistics, and a chronology of terrorist attacks..
  
• Recent Terrorism Events
  Drawn from the various sources published by the CQ Press, this web site gathers information on terrorism, counter terrorism, regional politics, the Islamic religion, and U.S. intelligence efforts.
  
• Terrorism
  The Council on Foreign Relations has released a comprehensive listing of primary sources on the ever-widening threat of world terrorism.

Think Tanks

• The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
  This organization supports and sponsors academics research in the fields of American government and politics, the economy, and other public policy issues.
  
• The Brookings Institution
  This independent, nonpartisan organization is focused on improving "the performance of American institutions and the quality of public policy" through its research activities on various public policy issues.
  
• The CATO Institute
  With a libertarian emphasis, the CATO Institute promotes "public policy based on individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace" and maintains web links to single policy issues WWW sites.
  
• The Heritage Foundation
  America's premier conservative "think tank" offers its analysis of various "hot topics" faced by the country today.
  
• Think Thanks
  SourceWatch provides a detailed definition of "think tanks" and includes listings of these organizations in the United States and across the world.
  
• RAND Corporation
  This quasi-governmental research organization features its current political & social policy reference information.

Other Hot Topics Sources

• Best Information on the Net: Hot Topics
  St. Ambrose University O'Keefe Library provides links to WWW sources on specific controversial issues.
  [ BEST CHOICE ]
  
• CNN.com - Special Reports
  CNN.com has collected their special reports on current news events / stories including archived features from 1995 to 2002.
  
• CSA - Discovery Guides
  CSA, a privately owned information services company, includes abstracts, overviews, and key source citations on various current events topics.
  
• CorpWatch.org
  This online magazine and resource center is "committed to exposing corporate greed by documenting the social, political, economic and environmental impacts of these transnational giants."
  
• Documents in the News
  Compiled by the University of Michigan's Documents Center, this source links to various web-based publications of the U.S. Government and other international organizations and governmental agencies for the years 1995-2002.
  
• Ethics Matters
  Designed to supplement ethics class work, this database covers the ethical implications of contemporary social problems as noted in popular and professional literature.
  
• Human & Constitutional rights - Hot Topics
  This Columbia University Law School source focuses on current trends and issues in international human rights.
  
• New Scientist.com - Special Reports
  The New Scientist Magazine web site provides "in depth reports on the most exciting areas of science."
  
• PollingReport.com
  This continually updated polling reference compiles survey results from various nationally conducted opinion polls.
  
• Science in the headlines
  This National Research Council database references hundreds of published reports on scientific, technological, political, and social trends influencing American society.
  
• SpeakOut.com
  This non-partisan web source illustrates the effect of research, public opinion, and current events on public policy.
• Union of Concerned Scientists
  The UCS, an organization of some 70,000 private citizens and research scientists, pursues the stated goal of "a healthy environment and safe world, for today, and for the next century."
  

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