March 22, 1852 - "Siskiyou County -- Created March 22, 1852 and named after the mountain range. The word meant 'bobtailed horse' in the Chinook Indian language, and was applied in 1828 when Alexander McLeod, factor of the Hudson Bay Company, lost a noted bobtailed race horse while crossing the mountains in a snowstorm."  The Names of California Counties  

March 23, 1852 - "Commodore John Drake Sloat was charged with selecting a viable location for the establishment of a navy yard and depot on the bay of San Francisco. Mare Island, just over 800 acres, was purchased by the United States for $83,491.... A foundry, machine shop, blacksmith shop, boiler shop, engine house, pattern house, carpenters shop and storehouses were to be built for $100,000."  Vacaville Reporter (March 31, 1996)  

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

• When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

• Items in the State Library collection can be checked out to state officials and staff.

• Access to all materials listed will be provided by the State Information Reference Center, either by e-mail to cslsirc@library.ca.gov or by calling 654-0261.

CALIFORNIA READER

CALIFORNIA READER

Profile of a Recession -- The U.S. and California. By Mary Daly and Fred Furlong, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Regional Report, FRBSF Economic Letter. No. 2002-04. February 22, 2002. 3 p.

Full Text at: www.frbsf.org

["This Economic Letter examines the changing profile of the recession in the U.S. and California.... The first part of the recession was marked by significant retrenchment in business investment, especially for products produced in high-technology sectors.... In the post-September 11 stage ... most of the acceleration in job losses can be traced to sectors directly affected by the decline in travel and tourism and to the paralyzing air of uncertainty affecting both consumers and businesses."]

[Request #S4486]

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

IDENTITY THEFT

Identity Theft: Available Data Indicate Growth in Prevalence and Cost. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-424T. (The Office, Washington, DC) February 14, 2002. 14 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-424T

["Given indications that the prevalence and cost of identity theft have increased in recent years, most observers agree that such crime is serious and warrants continued attention from law enforcement, industry, and consumers.... A current focus for policymakers and criminal justice administrators is to ensure that relevant legislation is effectively enforced.... Moreover, there is general agreement that, in addition to investigating and prosecuting violations of these laws, a multipronged approach to combating identity theft must include prevention efforts, such as limiting access to personal information."]

[Request #S4487]

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Challenges and Choices for Crime-Fighting Technology: Federal Support of State and Local Law Enforcement. By William Schwabe and others, Rand Science and Technology Policy Institute. MR-1349-OSTP/NIJ. (RAND, Santa Monica, California) 199 p.

Full Text at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1349/MR1349/

["This book provides findings of a study of technology in use or needed by law enforcement agencies at the state and local level, for the purpose of informing federal policymakers as they consider technology-related support for these agencies.... These findings are based on a nationwide Law Enforcement Technology Survey."]

[Request #S4489]

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Mentally Ill Offenders in the Criminal Justice System: An Analysis and Prescription. By The Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy, The Sentencing Project. (The Project, Washington, DC) January 2002. 22 p.

Full Text at: www.sentencingproject.org/news/pub9089.pdf

["This report [presents] an analysis of the 'criminalization' of people with mental illness and its impact on the criminal justice system.... We offer recommendations for changes in services, policies and practices to be implemented at each stage of the justice system -- from first police contact through release from prison -- to promote better outcomes both for individuals and the community as a whole."]

[Request #S4491]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CIVIL RIGHTS

Rights At Risk: Equality in an Age of Terrorism. Edited by Dianne M. Piché and others, Citizen’s Commission on Civil Rights. (The Commission, Washington, DC) February 2002. 360 p.

Full Text at: www.cccr.org/CCCRReport.pdf

["The report is the seventh in a series ... in which we evaluate the performance of the incumbent administration's record on civil rights. [It] contains a series of working papers, 19 of them covering a wide range of civil rights law and policy.... The central finding of this report is that there are serious threats to our well-being as a people that are going largely unnoticed and that are growing because of wrong-headed policies." Federal News Service (February 12, 2002 1.]

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Indian Issues: More Consistent and Timely Tribal Recognition Process Needed. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-02-415. (The Office, Washington DC) February 7, 2002. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-415T

["The recognition process is hampered by limited resources, a lack of time frames, and ineffective procedures for providing information to interested third parties, such as local municipalities and other Indian tribes... BIA officials estimate that it may take up to 15 years before all currently completed petitions are resolved."]

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Indian Trust Funds: Tribal Account Balances. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-02-420T. (The Office, Washington, DC) February 7, 2002. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-02-420T

["Interior's Indian trust fund account reconciliation project was completed in January 1996.... From 1992 through 1997, we monitored and reported on various aspects of Interior's planning, execution, and reporting of results for the reconciliation project.... In summary, although Interior made a massive attempt to reconcile tribal accounts during its reconciliation project, missing records and systems limitations made a full reconciliation impossible."]

[Request #S4514]

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ECONOMY

GROWTH MANAGEMENT

American Dream Boundaries: Urban Containment and Its Consequences. By Wendell Cox, Georgia Public Policy Foundation. (The Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia) 2001. And Misfiring from the Urban Moat: Response to American Dream Boundaries. By the Congress of New Urbanism. (The Congress, San Francisco, California) 2002. Various pagings.

["The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) ... has issued a response to American Dream Boundaries.... CNU is a principal proponent of so-called 'smart growth' policies and the leading organizational advocate of 'new urbanism.'... American Dream Boundaries reviewed the analysis and found generally ... that the purported advantages had either disappeared or simply did not exist."]

Respone to American Dream Boundaries:
http://www.gppf.org/pubs/commentaries/2001/response_to_cnu.htm

American Dream Boundaries:
http://www.gppf.org/pubs/analyses/2001/american_dream_boundaries.htm

[Request #S4494]

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Federal Reserve Board's Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress: Testimony. By Alan Greenspan, Chairman. Presented to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate. (The Board, Washington, DC) March 7, 2002. 7 p.

Full Text at: www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/hh/2002/march/testimony.htm

["Greenspan Says Growth Has Returned: Chairman Alan Greenspan sounded his most upbeat note to date about the recovery now taking shape.... 'The recent evidence increasingly suggests that an economic expansion is already well under way, although an array of influences unique to this business cycle seems likely to moderate its speed.' the central bank chief told lawmakers." San Francisco Chronicle (March 8, 2002) B1.]

[Request #S4554]

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EDUCATION

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Affirmative Action. By the Education Commission of the States. ECS Policy Brief. (The Commission, Denver, Colorado) January 2002. 7 p.

Full Text at: www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/32/15/3215.htm

["With the legal status of affirmative action in doubt in many jurisdictions, states and higher education institutions have attempted to develop new methods of supplying pools of qualified students from underrepresented groups.... These programs, which are still very much in their infancy, are both praised and criticized.... Significant barriers to equal access to higher education remain."]

[Request #S4498]

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Market-Based Reforms in Urban Education. By Helen F. Ladd, Duke University. Prepared for the Economic Policy Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) February 2002. 62 p.

Full Text at: www.epinet.org/books/educationreform.pdf

["Among the many ideas for reforming urban education are those that fit loosely under the rubric of market-based reforms. They include various forms of public school choice, charter schools, voucher programs, and the use of education management organizations.... This paper uses the market framework of demand, supply, and market pricing to organize the extensive but disparate evidence on the effects of market-based reforms."]

[Request #S4552]

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Implementation in a Longitudinal Sample of New American Schools: Four Years into Scale-Up. By Sheila Nataraj Kirby and others, RAND Education. MR-1413-EDU. (RAND, Santa Monica, California) 2001. 99 p.

Full Text at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1413

["This report is based on a variety of data gathered from the schools: principal and teacher surveys conducted during the 1996-1997, 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 school years, and data provided by districts on school demographic characteristics. In addition the report relies on other RAND studies that included site visits to schools and school districts to gather information about district and school administrators' and teachers' reports of the progress of the New American Schools initiative."]

[Request #S4553]

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Rhetoric Versus Reality: What We Know and What We Need to Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools. By Brian P. Gill, Rand Education, and others. MR-1118-EDU. (RAND, Santa Monica, California)

Full Text at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1118/

["This book examines the evidence on the effects of vouchers and charter schools, considering five key policy goals: academic achievement, family choice, equitable access, racial/ethnic integration, and civic socialization.... The authors conclude with recommendations for future policy design."]

[Request #S4499]

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The Use of Admissions Tests by the University of California: A Discussion Paper. By the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools. (The Board, Oakland, California) January 30, 2002. 24 p.; Appendices. Executive Summary 5 p.

Full Text at: www.ucop.edu/news/sat/boars.html

["UC Panel Wants to Scrap SAT I: A key faculty committee released a report tentatively recommending that the system scrap the SAT I and develop a standardized test more closely aligned with what students are learning in high school. The proposal was forwarded to faculty committees on each campus for extensive review." San Francisco Chronicle (January 31, 2002) A16.]

[Request #S4500]

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ENERGY

ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

New York, et al. v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, et al., Enron Power Marketing, Inc. v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, et al. United States Supreme Court. 00-568, 00-809. March 4, 2002. Various pagings.

Full Text at: caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&navby=case&vol=000&invol=00-568

["The court ruled that the federal government could order utility companies to open up their transmission lines to wholesale competitors, in effect providing a level playing field for all sellers....That could provide greater freedom to big customers who could buy power in bulk direct from the transmission grid." Sacramento Bee (March 5, 2002) D1.]

[Request #S4493]

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California v. Dynegy Inc., et al., California v. Mirant Corporation, et al., California v. Reliant Energy Inc., et al., and California v. Williams Energy Marketing and Trading, et al. San Francisco County Superior Court. CGC 02-4054-33, CGC 02-4054-29, CGC 02-4054-35, CGC 02-4054-32. Complaint for Restitution, Civil Penalties, Injunction and other Equitable and Ancillary Relief. March 11, 2002. Various pagings.

Full Text at: caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2002/02-019dynegy.pdf

["The California attorney general's office sued four major energy companies for $150 million, alleging that they broke contracts to provide emergency power to the state's power grid operator and instead sold the electricity on the lucrative spot market on thousands of occasions....State officials said the suits demonstrate that big energy companies began "gaming" the state's power grid operation within months of its creation." Los Angeles Times (March 12, 2002) A1.]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

GLOBAL WARMING

Clean Energy and Jobs: A Comprehensive Approach to Climate Change and Energy Policy. By James P. Barrett, Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, and others. Prepared for The Economic Policy Institute and the Center for a Sustainable Economy. (The Institute, Washington, DC) February 2002. 48 p.

Full Text at: www.epinet.org/studies/cleanenergyandjobs.pdf

["Environmental Groups, Labor Unions Join Forces to Combat Global Warming, Protect Jobs: An unprecedented coalition of the leaders of some of the nation's largest labor unions and environmental groups ... call for dramatic action to combat global warming while protecting economic security for workers.... The coalition will embrace a study released by the Institute that sets forth a feasible plan to achieve a worker-friendly clean energy plan." U.S. Newswire (February 19, 2002) 1.]

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City of Palo Alto Zoning Ordinance Update: New Urbanism Discussion Paper. By Joel Russell, Planning Consultant and Attorney for the City of Palo Alto. Prepared for the City of Palo Alto. (The City, Palo Alto, California) January 25, 2002. 23 p.

Full Text at: www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/zoning/newurbanism.html

["The 'new urbanism' is a movement in planning and design that is gradually transforming the practice of town and city planning in the United States and around the world. The purpose of this discussion paper is to examine how new urbanism might be applied to the City of Palo Alto."]

[Request #S4492]

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Planning for Smart Growth: 2002 State of the States. Denny Johnson, American Planning Association, and others. (The Association, Washington, DC) February 2002. 148 p.

Full Text at: www.planning.org/growingsmart/pdf/states2002.pdf

["A new planning study puts California in the category of states that tweak old policies rather than forge new tools to shape how growth occurs.....It's not that California legislators dodge the issue....But much of what becomes law might be described as incremental at best....By contrast, the American Planning Association survey found that in 12 states, new policies are designed to give state government a direct role in steering and managing growth." San Francisco Chronicle (February 17, 2002) A5.]

[Request #S4504]

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Our Natural Heritage at Risk: California's 10 Most Threatened Wild Places. By the California Wilderness Coalition. (The Coalition, Davis, California) February 2002. 22 p.

Full Text at: www.calwild.org/pubs/reports/tenmost/CWC10.pdf

["Many of California's last unprotected wilderness areas are in danger from urban sprawl, desert development, logging and energy exploration, and the easing of federal environmental standards, a conservation group said in a report....Development threatens a national park, a state park, six national wildlife refuges, five designated wilderness areas and 18 potential wilderness areas totaling 800,000 acres. That could affect at least 45 threatened or endangered species including the California condor, desert tortoise, coho salmon and several species unique to California." Contra Costa Times (February 27, 2002) 1.]

[Request #S4505]

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California Living Marine Resources: A Status Report. By The California Department of Fish and Game and the Sea Grant Extension Program, University of California. (The Department, Sacramento, California) December 2001. 592 p.

Full Text at: www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/status/entire_book_v2.pdf

["The report examines the condition of the state's commercial and recreational fisheries. Included is the natural history of many of the state's marine plants and animals. There are photos, population and biological information on more than 150 marine species." Fresno Bee (February 21, 2002) D9.]

[Request #S4506]

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Water Quality Enforcement Policy. By State Water Resources Control Board. (The Board, Sacramento, California) February 19, 2002. 50 p. An Ordinance Amending the County Code of Regulatory Ordinances Relating to Stormwater Regulation, and An Ordinance Amending the County Code of Regulatory Ordinances Relating to Stormwater Regulation Manual. 46 p., 99 p. By San Diego County Board of Supervisors. (The Board, San Diego, California) February 20, 2002. And "Runoff Rules to Bring Flood of Changes." By Denis Devine. IN: North County Times (February 24, 2002)A1. Various pagings.

["Residents, businesses and city governments are in for sweeping changes in how they use and dispose of water under new storm-water runoff regulations.... The California Regional Quality Control Board can fine violators up to $10,000 per violation per day.... If a city can't show it was tough on the violator, often by levying its own fines, the regional board can hit the city with the same $10,000 penalty."]

Water Control Enforcement Policy:
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/plnspols/wqep021902.pdf

"Runoff Rules":
http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/env_health/pcw/pcw_ordinances.html

[Request #S4507]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

California National Guard: To Better Respond to State Emergencies and Disasters, It Can Improve Its Aviation Maintenance and Its Processes of Preparing for and Assessing State Missions. By the Bureau of State Audits. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) February 2002. 64 p.

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/pdfs/0011112.pdf

["State Auditor Notes Flaws in National Guard Readiness: The ability to respond to fires and floods may be hampered by delays in getting helicopter parts and by a shortage of mechanics.... In addition units reported that as much as half of their maintenance staff hadn't been formally trained to work on one type of helicopter used by the Guard." San Diego Union-Tribune (February 15, 2002) A5.]

[Request #S4510]

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International Cooperation in Research and Development: An Update to an Inventory of U.S. Government Spending. By Caroline S. Wagner and others, Rand Science and Technology Policy Institute. MR-1248-OSTP. (RAND, Santa Monica, California) 2001. 47 p.

Full Text at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1248/MR1248.

["Developments in science and technology are increasingly the result of international collaboration. Many indicators show increasing links among world scientists to conduct joint research, share data, conduct international meetings, develop common standards, and transfer technology.... There is increasing pressure within the United States to justify public funding of scientific activity."]

[Request #S4516]

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HEALTH

AIDS

HIV Impact: A Closing the Gap Newsletter. By the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (The Office, Washington, DC) December 2001. 16 p.

[Includes: "HIV in Prisons Is 5 Times the Rate of General Population: Public Health Efforts Coordinate with Corrections;" "The White House Talks About What's Needed to Fight HIV/AIDS;" "Condoms in Prison: The Debate Lingers On...;" "Integrating HIV/AIDS Prevention with Domestic Violence Services;" "OMHRC Collaborates With HBCUs in Peer-Led HIV/AIDS Awareness Effort;" and others.]

[Request #S4528]

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Teen Tipplers: America's Underage Drinking Epidemic. By the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University. (The Center, New York, New York) February 26, 2002. 145 p.

Full Text at: www.casacolumbia.org

["Nearly one-third of the nation's high school students report binge drinking at least once a month.... The behavior -- defined as the consumption of four consecutive drinks for a female, or five for a male -- is engaged in monthly by 5 million high school students.... The number equals 31 percent of the nation's high school students.... The survey includes nearly 10,000 people 12 to 20." San Francisco Chronicle (February 27, 2002) A5.]

[Request #S4529]

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Oversight of Ambulatory Surgical Centers: A System in Neglect; Quality Oversight of Ambulatory Surgical Centers: The Role of Certification and Accreditation. And Quality Oversight of Ambulatory Surgical Centers: Holding State Agencies and Accreditors Accountable. By the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Health and Human Services. (The Office, Washington, DC) February 2002.

["This inquiry assesses how State agencies and accreditors oversee ambulatory surgical centers and how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services holds them accountable.... Our inquiry relies on a variety of data including claims and survey data, observations of surveys, and reviews of literature, laws, and regulations."]

A System in Neglect. 38 p.
http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-01-00-00450.pdf

The Role of Certification and Accreditation. 34 p.
http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-01-00-00451.pdf

Holding State Agencies and Accreditors Accountable. 23 p.
http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-01-00-00452.pdf

[Request #S4530]

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County-By-County Data. By the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. (The Institute, Oakland, California) 2002. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.medi-cal.org/countydata/index.cfm

["Nearly Half of Physicians Shun Medi-Cal: The report urges new strategies to draw physicians into the program.... In surveys of almost 1,700 physicians in the state's largest counties, researchers found that 55 percent of primary care physicians said they treated Medi-Cal patients. The low participation rate is notable because such physicians coordinate the care for most patients." San Diego Union Tribune (February 15, 2002) C1.]

[Request #S4532]

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HOUSING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Affordability Concerns Persist Despite Rate Cuts. By Robert A. Kleinhenz, California Association of Realtors. Trends in California Real Estate. Vol. 23, No. 1. (The Association, Los Angeles, California) 8 p.; Tables.

["Rising home values are a boon to homeowners but their rapid increase is shutting out large numbers of young families and new home buyers.... Employers are having trouble hiring and keeping good workers as home prices escalate much faster than incomes." San Luis Obispo Tribune (February 26, 2002) A1.]

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The Link Between Growth Management and Housing Affordability: The Academic Evidence. By Arthur C. Nelson, Georgia Institute of Technology, and others. Prepared for the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. (The Institution, Washington, DC) February 2002. 56 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/es/urban/publications/growthmang.pdf

["Brookings Report Finds Market Demand Primary Determinant of Housing Price: The report, a comprehensive review of the academic literature on the link between growth management and housing affordability finds that ... housing affordability and sound growth management are compatible goals." U.S. Newswire (February 20, 2002) 1.]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHARITIES

Mustering the Armies of Compassion in Philadelphia: An Analysis of One Year of Literacy Programming in Faith-Based Institutions. By Bill Hangley, Jr. and Wendy S. McClanahan, Public/Private Ventures. (Public/Private Ventures, New York, New York) February 2002. 73 p.

Full Text at: www.ppv.org/pdffiles/mustering.pdf

["Since the Centers opened their doors a brief 18 months ago, almost a thousand children have enrolled. They were on average reading more than two years behind grade level. Sixty percent are in the first to fifth grades; 20 percent are in high school.... The children who have attended a Center for six months or more vaulted 1.9 years in reading ability."]

[Request #S4536]

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Administration’s TANF Proposals Would Limit – Not Increase – State Flexibility. By Sharon Parrott and others, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (The Center, Washington, DC) February 26, 2002. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.cbpp.org/2-26-02tanf.pdf

["The Administration has unveiled key details of its TANF reauthorization proposals. Taken as a whole, the proposals would substantially limit the flexibility states currently have to design work programs that respond to the needs of TANF recipients and the condition of the labor market in their states."]

[Request #S4538]

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The Scope and Impact of Welfare Reform's Immigrant Provisions. By Michael Fix and Jeffery Passel, Urban Institute. (The Institute, Washinton, DC) January 2002. 49 p.

Full Text at: newfederalism.urban.org/pdf/discussion02-03.pdf

["In this paper, we discuss the background and character of the changes introduced by this ... law and then sketch the post-enactment responses of the Congress, the states, and the courts. We further explore the impacts that the law has had on benefit use among immigrants, highlighting the changes in usage among different immigrant groups and factors related to these changes."]

[Request #S4539]

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Immigrants and Welfare Reauthorization. By Shawn Fremstad. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (The Center, Washington DC) February 4, 2002. 19 p.

Full Text at: www.cbpp.org/1-22-02tanf4.pdf

["The immigrant restrictions have proven to be among the most controversial aspects of the welfare law.... Welfare reauthorization provides an opportunity to reconsider the restrictions in a more comprehensive and integrated manner. Congress should restore equal access to benefits.... This will require the redesign of existing programs to ensure that they help immigrants overcome barriers to advancement, including limited English proficiency, low skills, and limited acculturation."]

[Request #S4540]

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How Are Immigrants Faring After Welfare Reform? Preliminary Evidence from Los Angeles and New York City: Final Report. By Randy Capps, the Urban Institute, and others. (The Institute, Washington, DC) March 4, 2002. 99 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/pdfs/410426_final_report.pdf

["Immigrants in Nation's Two Largest Cities Report Extensive Unmet Food Needs; Greatest Hardship Among Those Who Speak Limited English: Poverty rates for immigrant families are more than twice as high as rates for native citizen families in California and New York state." AScribe Newswire (March 6, 2002) 1.]

[Request #S4541]

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Child Well-Being and the Reauthorization of Welfare Reform. By Kelley O'Dell. The Welfare Information Network (The Network, Washington, DC) IN: Reauthorization Notes, vol. 2, no. 2 (February 2002) pp. 1-14.

Full Text at: www.welfareinfo.org/childwellbeing_trn.htm

["(This report) describes the interactions between TANF and child well-being, including how welfare reform has addressed outcomes for children; how welfare reform has affected child welfare services; and how child well-being could be assessed in the context of welfare reform. Summaries are included of various organizations’ positions on how the law should be changed, if at all, to achieve better outcomes for children." HandsNet (March 11, 2001.)]

[Request #S4542]

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INTERNATIONAL READER

Metales y Derivados: Final Factual Record. By the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. (The Commission, Montreal, Canada) February 11, 2002. 154 p.

Full Text at: www.cec.org/files/pdf/sem/98-7-FFR-e.pdf

["NAFTA Panel Finds a Mess, Can't Clean It; Study Cites an Urgent Need for Cleanup at a Former Battery Recycler in Tijuana, But the Body Lacks Enforcement Power: Experts who studied the case saw an urgent need to clean the site to prevent the spread of pollutants that include lead, arsenic, cadmium and antimony." Los Angeles Times (February 24, 2002) 8.]

[Request #S4543]

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The Reshaping of Korea. By the Pacific Council on International Policy. (The Council, Los Angeles, California) November 2001. 64 p.

Full Text at: www.pacificcouncil.org/pdfs/Korea.01.5.pdf

["The transformation of Korea is a work in progress. The forces driving change -- from foreign investors and international institutions to Korean entrepreneurs, from the younger generation and new civic groups to Korean-Americans -- will see their influence increase, but only gradually.... This report highlights the forces driving the country's transformation."]

[Request #S4544]

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Central America: Readying for Free Trade with United States. By Joachim Bamrud, Americas Program, Interhemispheric Resource Center. (The Center, Silver City, New Mexico) February 22, 2002. 3 p.

Full Text at: www.americaspolicy.org/articles/2002/0202catrade.html

["The United States is turning its focus on Central America. The objective is to boost commercial ties with the region. President George W. Bush announced in January that the U.S. would explore a free trade agreement with Central America.... Once implemented, a Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) would give the region's business the benefit of guaranteed admittance to the U.S. market."]

[Request #S4545]

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Implications for U.S. Companies of Kyoto’s Entry into Force without the United States. By Daniel Bodansky, University of Washington. Prepared for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. (The Center, Arlington, Virginia) January 2002. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.pewclimate.org/events/Kyoto-USBusiness.pdf

["This paper examines some of the potential implications for U.S. business of the Kyoto Protocol's entry into force -- in particular, the effects of the U.S. decision to stay out of the Protocol.... The implications ... will also depend significantly on whether the United States decides as a matter of domestic policy to undertake emission reduction requirements, and the stringency of such requirements."]

[Request #S4546]

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TRANSPORTATION

HIGHWAY SAFETY

"The Population Consumption Model, Alcohol Control Practices, and Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities. By Deborah A. Cohen and others. IN: Preventive Medicine, vol. 34, no. 2 (January 2002) pp. 187-197.

["Study Backs Tough DUI Enforcement: Efforts to lower blood-alcohol limits nationwide could get a boost from a report that shows cities with the strictest alcohol regulations and toughest enforcement of alcohol-related violations had the lowest rates of drunken-driving fatalities.... Nationally, alcohol is to blame for more than 40 percent of urban traffic fatalities, according to the report." Sacramento Bee (January 14, 2002) A5.]

[Request #S4526]

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WASHINGTON READER

California Capitol Hill Bulletin. By the California Institute For Federal Policy Research. Vol 9, Bulletin 5-6. (The Institute, Washington, DC) February 28 - March 7, 2002. Various pagings.

Full Text at: http://www.calinst.org/bulletins/bull906.pdf

[Includes: "Senate Commerce Examines Digital and Broadband Content Protection;" "Senate Judiciary Examines State Sovereignty And Intellectual Property Protection;" "California Asks FERC to Alter or Void Long-Term Power Contracts;" "President Bush Announces Wefare Reauthorization Plan;" "State and Local Officials Collaborate over Highway and Transit Funding Restoration;" "Caltrans Head Testifies Regarding State's Passenger Rail Needs;" "Primary Election Results For California House Races;" and others.]

[Request #S4548]

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[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

EDUCATION

FAMILY LITERACY

And Still We Speak . . . Stories of Communities Sustaining and Reclaiming Languages and Culture. By Laurie Olsen and others. (California Tomorrow, Oakland, California)2001. 270 p.

[Includes: "Benefits of Bilingualism;" "Voices: The Stakes of Language Loss and Cultural Disconnection;" "Voices: Raising Children to be Bilingual and Bicultural: Rooted at Home and In the World;" "Roots in One Language;" "Culture Opens Us Up to Others and Identity and Pride in Language and Culture."]

[Request #S4555]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

GENETIC ENGINEERING

Environmental Effects of Transgenic Plants: The Scope and Adequacy of Regulation. By the Committee on Environmental Impacts Associated with Commercialization of Transgenic Plants, National Research Council. (National Academy Press, Washington, DC) 2002. 320 p.

Full Text at: www.nap.edu/catalog/10258.html?onpi_topnews_022102

["Regulations now in place to protect the public and the environment from potential harmful effects of genetically engineered crops are inadequate.... The report says the government must do a better job of screening these crops - both before and after they are planted.... [It] provides a detailed road map for the federal government to follow as it reinforces its assessment of environmental risks." Environmental News Service (February 22, 2002) 1.]

[Request #S4550]

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HEALTH

CHILDREN

Why Eligible Children Lose or Leave SCHIP: Findings from a Comprehensive Study of Retention and Disenrollment. By Cynthia Pernice and others, National Academy for State Health Policy. (The Academy, Portland, Maine) February 2002. 24 p.; Appendices.

["Study Evaluates Why Beneficiaries Leave Program: More than two-thirds of families who disenroll from state CHIP programs do so because they are no longer eligible or because they have found insurance coverage privately, according to a study.... The study recommends five ways to improve CHIP program retention." American Health Line (February 11, 2002) 1.]

[Request #S4556]

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