March 2011
41 posts
4 tags
…the people of Libya have made themselves clear: It is time for Qadhafi to...
– Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaking at the 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Read the full speech on the State Department’s blog.
February 2011
19 posts
4 tags
Get Ready for Spring Floods
From the National Weather Service:
A large swath of the North Central United States is at risk of moderate to major flooding this spring. This area extends from northeastern Montana through western Wisconsin and along the Mississippi River south to St. Louis. For the third consecutive year, forecasters predictmajor flooding along the Red River of the North, which forms the state line between...
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Satellite Photo of Kizimen Volcano
After coming to life in December 2010—following more than 80 years of silence—Kizimen Volcano in Russia showed no signs of slowing down in February 2011.
This false-color satellite image shows a vigorous volcanic plume streaming northeast from the summit. The white portion of the plume is likely rich with steam, while the tan plume is primarily ash. To the northwest, forests that have not yet...
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How USAID is Helping in Christchurch
U.S. rescue team on mission in Christchurch, New Zealand. By Rebecca Gustafson on Twitter.
Rebecca Gustafson works for USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), and has written a great post on USAID’s blog about the work being done to save lives and alleviate suffering caused by the earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand on February 22.
Knowing there is...
Meet Robonaut 2
Robonaut 2, pictured above, will be journeying to the space station aboard space shuttle Discovery during the STS-133 mission this afternoon. It will be the first dexterous humanoid robot in space.
Learn more about Robonaut 2 and the STS-133 mission at NASA.gov.
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Aurora Australis at the South Pole
Like its more familiar counterpart (the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights), the Aurora Australis is caused by the solar wind passing through the upper atmosphere. But the Aurora Australis is much less frequently observed because so few people are in Antarctica during the austral winter.
The United States maintains three research stations in Antarctica. The National Science Foundation’s...
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Helpful guides on credit, loans, and debt →
Almost every day, you’re involved in some type of financial transaction requiring an educated decision. Click the link above for advice from the Federal Trade Commission on shopping for a mortgage or auto loan, checking the accuracy of your credit report, dealing with debt collectors, or looking for ways to protect your personal financial information.
You can also find the Federal Trade...
Finding a New Job
January’s unemployment rate was 9%, and that means that there are a lot of Americans who still need jobs. The local paper is a good way to find jobs close to home, and these days many jobs are posted online. Don’t forget that there are lots of government jobs out there too. If you’re looking for a job or an internship with the federal government, you’ll find all federal job openings announced to...
How to Opt Out of Pre-Approval Offers
How often do you receive offers in the mail for a credit card or insurance that you’ve been pre-approved for? If you just end up throwing the envelopes into the trash unopened, you might be interested in learning you can opt out of receiving mail like this. You have two opt-out options: A five-year opt-out period or permanent opt-out. If you aren’t currently in the market for a new...
Free eBook About the 2007 Surge in Iraq
A U.S. military medical officer performs a check up on an Iraqi woman.
The U.S. Government Printing Office runs an excellent blog called Government Book Talk in which they highlight remarkable government publications. Today’s blog post highlights Surging South of Baghdad: The 3rd Infantry Division and Task Force Marne in Iraq, 2007-2008, a book describing “the experience of one unit...
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Do you need help paying your energy bills?
Photo by Martin Cathrae on Flickr
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to help low-income households, particularly those that use a large portion of their income to pay their energy bills. This is especially important during winter months when paying a heating bill can become a matter of life and death.
If you, or someone you know, might benefit from LIHEAP, please...
Anonymous asked: how old are you?
How to recognize visa and immigration scams →
We often hear from people confused about scam emails or official-looking websites that promise help getting visas in exchange for a fee.
Follow the link above for advice from the State Department on how to recognize and report visa and immigration scams online.
This woodcut by Margaret Burroughs is called The Faces of My People. It’s part of The Kinsey Collection which is on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture through May 1, 2011.
From the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website:
Margaret Burroughs has been a force in the Chicago art community for decades. She also has devoted...
Information for U.S. Citizens Currently in Egypt
From the State Department:
U.S. citizens in Egypt who require assistance, or those who are concerned that their U.S. citizen loved one in Egypt may require assistance, should contact the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo at:
EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov
1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada
1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the United States and...
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E-file Your Taxes This Year
Do you file your federal taxes electronically, or are you still using the paper forms? The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) says that almost 100 million taxpayers e-filed their taxes last year. Even I’m surprised that many of us e-file.
There are three ways to e-file:
Free File – You can go to IRS.gov and use the Free File program if your income was $58,000 or less. If you’re the type of...
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