Grab Your Bike and Go with Google Maps - Users can now choose biking when deciding how to get to their destination: "If you’re one of the 57 million Americans who ride a bike, mapping your daily commute, exploring new trails, and planning recreational rides just became a little bit easier. Google is announcing that we have added biking directions in the U.S. to Google Maps. This has been the most requested addition to Google Maps, and we’re delighted to be unveiling this new feature at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC. This new feature includes: step-by-step bicycling directions; bike trails outlined directly on the map; and a new “Bicycling” layer that indicates bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly roads."

News release: "Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today sued two of the nation’s largest credit rating agencies -- Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s -- for knowingly assigning tainted credit ratings to risky investments backed by sub-prime loans. Blumenthal said Moody’s and S&P’s alleged misconduct enabled the worst economic downturn in the nation since The Great Depression. The lawsuits, unique and unlike others filed on behalf of specific investors or pension funds, are sovereign enforcement actions brought under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act."

Official Google Blog: "Today we’re announcing an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage [to] digitize up to a million out-of-copyright works. The libraries will select the works to be digitized from their collections, which include a wealth of rare historical books, including scientific works, literature from the period of the founding of Italy and the works of Italy's most famous poets and writers. It marks the first time we’ve ever joined forces with Italian libraries, and the first time we've worked with a ministry of culture."

Fiscal Policy Choices, March 2010. CBO Director Doug Elmendorf's presentation to the National Association for Business Economics.

News release: "Representative Carolyn Maloney, Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), and Senator Charles E. Schumer, Vice Chair of the JEC, released a report today estimating the impact of the Healthy Families Act (S. 1152, introduced by Senator Chris Dodd, and H.R. 2460, introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro), on access to paid sick leave. The report, Expanding Access to Paid Sick Leave: The Impact of the Healthy Families Act on America's Workers, was requested by the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families and analyzes the demographics of workers who currently have access to paid sick leave and workers who would gain access to paid sick leave under the Healthy Families Act."

• Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities for the Army to Position Its Ground Force Modernization Efforts for Success, GAO-10-493T, March 10, 2010
• Space Acquisitions: DOD Poised to Enhance Space Capabilities, but Persistent Challenges Remain in Developing Space Systems, GAO-10-447T, March 10, 2010
• VA Faces Challenges in Providing Substance Use Disorder Services and Is Taking Steps to Improve These Services for Veterans, GAO-10-294R, March 10, 2010
• Afghanistan Drug Control: Strategy Evolving and Progress Reported, but Interim Performance Targets and Evaluation of Justice Reform Efforts Needed, GAO-10-291, March 09, 2010
• Iraq: Iraqi Refugees and Special Immigrant Visa Holders Face Challenges Resettling in the United States and Obtaining U.S. Government Employment, GAO-10-274, March 09, 2010
• Use of the Railroad Retirement Board Occupational Disability Program across the Rail Industry, GAO-10-351R, February 04, 2010

News release: "While discussing health insurance reform in St. Charles, Missouri today, President Obama announced new efforts to reign in waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs. He explained that the administration plans to prevent wasted dollars through the use of payment recapture audits by giving auditors incentives to catch improper payments and payment errors. He called for federal agencies to launch these audits across the country, which have been successful through pilot programs. The audits are expected to return $2 billion in taxpayer money over the next 3 years."

H.R. 4213, American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010
March 10, 2010. Direct spending and revenues effects estimate for the bill as passed by the Senate on March 10, 2010

News release: "In January, 30 states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 9 states registered decreases, and 11 states had no change. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 18 states, and remained unchanged in 1 state."

New on LLRX.com: The Web Guide for the New Economy - This guide by Marcus P. Zillman showcases the latest world wide web resources for discovering new knowledge on and understanding about developments with regard to the New Economy. The rapid changes in government transparency policies have resulted in the release of large volumes of data pertinent to researchers that public, advocacy and corporate entities are publishing to the web.

News release: "The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. These draft standards, developed together with teachers, school administrators and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. The NGA Center and CCSSO have received feedback from national organizations representing, but not limited to teachers, postsecondary education (including community colleges), civil rights groups, English language learners, and students with disabilities. The NGA Center and CCSSO encourage those interested in the standards to provide further feedback by Friday, April 2, 2010, at www.corestandards.org."

Follow up to previous postings on obesity, this News release: "Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and today, nearly 23 million – or one in three – American children are overweight or obese. Through the Healthy Kids, Healthy America program, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) supported 15 states as they worked to develop policies to prevent childhood obesity. The recognizable progress of each of these states is detailed in a new report released today, Shaping a Healthier Generation: Healthy Kids, Healthy America State Profiles of Progress."

Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Member Use of Twitter During a Two-Month Period in the 111th Congress, February 03, 2010

New York Times: "Google Translate service handles 52 languages, more than any similar system, and people use it hundreds of millions of times a week to translate Web pages and other text." [Note: Translate text, webpages and documents - users may upload documents]

Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues, Richard A. Best Jr. Specialist in National Defense, Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, February 1, 2010