Data Privacy for Consumers

Yesterday, the White House took another step in the direction of creating data privacy for consumers. We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Calls for A Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for the Digital Age, blog post includes the background steps with an outline of future steps. The full document, Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World is available online.

The President's Budget

The budget for fiscal year 2013 is now available in a variety of formats along with remarks, discussion, and a bit of history.

• Online from FDsys
• Purchase from U.S. Government Bookstore
• App from GPO 
• Press release about the app
• Slides from Slideshare
• Chat from Storify
• Remarks by the President on the Budget (White House)
• The President’s Budget (Law Library of Congress)

State of the Union Address 2012

If you missed the address or would like to review it, the White House has an enhanced version available.
Other formats:

• Electronic Version on FDsys
• Photos from The White House
• Transcript from The White House

Interested in the history of the State of the Union address?

• State of the Union Address - House
• State of the Union Address - Senate
• State of the Union Address from In Custodia Legis - Law Librarians of Congress

Student Loans

Alright SU students, I know you're thinking about finals (yes, finals) right now but at some point you might have to make payments for a student loan. If you haven't heard, the President is talking about a change regarding student loan payments.

If you're already paying student loans, then here is the repayment assistant for student debt (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) & here is an income-based repayment calculator (Federal Student Aid).

Alerts for Data Overage Charges

Soon smartphone, cell phone & other wireless device owners will receive automatic alerts before going over the agreed data usage plan. This is due to an agreement between the FCC & CTIA (The wireless association). The White House Blog post, Celebrating an Innovative Approach to Consumer Protection, has a good description of the agreement along with links to the announcements.

Flexibility - No Child Left Behind

I've pulled together a list of resources from the White House & Department of Education that mention the suggested flexibility to No Child Left Behind:

• President Obama: "Our Kids Only Get One Shot at a Decent Education" (White House Blog)
• Weekly Address: Strengthening the American Education System (White House Blog)
• What NCLB Flexibility Means for You (ED.gov Blog)
• Teacher Makes a Personal Case for NCLB Waivers (ED.gov Blog)
• Obama Administration Offers Flexibility from No Child Left Behind  (ED.gov Blog)
• ESEA Flexibility (Department of Education)

The American Jobs Act of 2011

An authenticated  version of the American Jobs Act is now available on FDsys.

The White House has a blog post describing how the American Jobs Act will impact your community.

Debt Ceiling Documents

I've tried to pull together the latest agreed on debt ceiling documents but I'm sure I'll be updating this list in the future.

• Bill Summary & Status S.365 (Thomas)
• Debt Ceiling Bill (FDsys)
• Roll call votes for bill (Senate)
• Putting Americans Back to Work: President Obama Speaks on the Debt Compromise (White House blog)
• Text of Budget Control Act Amendment (House of Representatives Committee on Rules)
• Fact Sheet: Bipartisan Debt Deal: A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline (White House)

Missed Tweeting with the President?

A video of the town hall Twitter meeting is now available on the White House blog.

The President on Immigration

The President has shared his thoughts about immigration. Read the blog, watch the video & download the report.

Obama's Remarks on Osama Bin Laden

Read the remarks or watch the video.

Japan

Here are some resources & images from Japan's earthquake & tsunami:

• The Ongoing Response to the Earthquakes and Tsunami in Japan (White House)

• Japan's Coastline Before and After the Tsunami (NASA)

• Tsunami flooding near Sendai, Japan (NASA)

• What are Tsunamis? (USGS)

• What is the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave? (USGS)

• Japan's Earthquake and Tsunamis (Dept. of State)

• USGS Updates Magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku Earthquake to 9.0

• Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes

• On the Ground in Japan (USAID)

Bullies - It's Time to Stop

Today, the President and the First Lady will talk about preventing bullying at a White House conference. You can watch the events via live video at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live and participate in online chats. As a matter of fact, submit your questions here http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/discuss/comments/.

For more resources, see StopBullying.gov and http://www.facebook.com/StopBullying.Gov. 

Egypt

**If your U.S. citizen loved one needs assistance in #Egypt, call 1-202-501-4444 or email EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov.**

**U.S. citizens who wish to depart #Egypt via USG-chartered transportation: call 1-202-501-4444 | email EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov**

Situation in Egypt: information for U.S. citizens currently in Egypt

The White House, President Obama on the Situation in Egypt: "All Governments Must Maintain Power through Consent, Not Coercion 

The Department of State, Egypt: Public Service Announcement for American Citizens

State of the Union Address

Along with the transcript of the remarks & video from last night's address, I thought you might enjoy a little bit of background information. From the Senate, a brief history. From the Office of the Clerk (House of Representatives), here are the origins and authorization and historical highlights.

The authentic full text version of the speech is now available on FDsys (GPO).

New START Treaty

I pulled together a few links about the New START treaty. The first link includes the text.

New START: Treaty Text
New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) 
Key Facts About the New START Treaty
The New START Treaty: "A National Security Imperative"
Statement from the Vice President on the New START Treaty

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

Today, September 17, is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. How are you celebrating?

• Constitution Day trivia quiz (US Mint) 
• Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Library of Congress)
• Teaching with Documents: Observing Constitution Day (National Archives)
• Presidential Proclamation - Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, Constitution Week (White House)
• Commemorating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Department of Education)

Documents of the Month: Hurricane Katrina, 5 Years Later

This month, we'll take a look at our Katrina documents.

•  Historic Preservation Response Methodology: Based on the Hurricane Katrina Model
• Hurricane Katrina: Five Years of Remembering & Rebuilding (White House)
• Rebuilding Lives Revitalizing Communities (FEMA)
• Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: 5 Years Later (FEMA)
• Hurricane Katrina: A NASA Satellite Video Retrospective (NASA)
• Hurricane Katrina...A Look Back 5 Years Later (NWS - New Orleans/Baton Rouge)
• Hurricane Katrina - Most Destructive Hurricane Ever to Strike the U.S. (NOAA)
• A Performance Review of FEMA's Disaster Management Activities in REsponse to Hurricane Katrina
• The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned
• A Failure of Initiative
• Declarations of National Emergency in Response to Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared

Gulf Oil Spill Resources and Images

Here's a collection of resources and images of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: 

• Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon Incident (includes latest information)
• Deepwater Horizon Response on Facebook
• The Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico FAQ from USA.gov 
• Remarks from the President on Oil Spill
• Shoreline Impact Outlook (until Monday, May 3, 2010)
• EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
• Photostream from Coast Guard
• Oil Slick Near Mississippi Delta image from NASA
• Oil and Gas Industry Fatal and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries Fact Sheet from Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Database: Oil Spills Since 2000

Watch the Bill Signing

The White House will stream the health reform bill signing live this afternoon at 11:15 AM EDT.