Monday, March 18, 2024

Junk Fees to be Scrapped

Everyone – students, families, Democrats, Republicans, Representatives, Senators, the President, even universities and colleges themselves – agree that higher education is too expensive.  Both the legislative and executive branches have pledged to implement policies that lower those costs.  Last Thursday, theBiden-Harris Administration announced their plans to help in this area with strategies to “crack down on junk fees.”  These junk fees include non-refunded meal account funds, bank fees associated with using a college-sponsored credit card or banking account, automatic charges for textbooks and supplies included in tuition, and finance charges for taking out a student loan.

Colleges and universities often partner with banks for disbursement of financial aid through credit or debit cards.  Unfortunately, many of these bank cards include excessive and/or hidden fees that can cost students significantly.  Problems with these fees have recently been reported to Congress by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and were reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as far back as 2014. 

Another, often hidden, fee students and parents incur is the loan origination fee.  This administrative fee can be from 1 to 4 percent of the amount of the loan and is frequently added to the loan amount and, therefore, continuously incurs interest throughout the life of the loan.  According to the Biden-Harris Administration “These fees are a relic of an era when the government compensated private lenders to issue these loans.  Today, this fee is nothing more than a tax imposed on students by the government, costing consumers more than $1 billion annually.” 

Colleges and universities are not on board with all the Administration’s plans, however.  For instance, universities would now be required to return all unused “flex dollars” in the students’ meal plan accounts.  Moreover, students would have to opt-in to include textbook fees into their tuition charges.  The Administration and the Department of Education say this will allow students to be aware of what prices they pay for textbooks and allow them to find cheaper sources for materials.  Universities contend that this will impede their ability to provide students with materials at below market prices on the first day of class. 

These announced strategies build upon regulations released in late 2023 which include investing in the Open Textbooks Pilot Program to lower textbook costs, requiring universities to adhere to more stringent requirements of transparency on all college costs, requiring universities when they act as lenders to adhere to federal consumer financial protection laws, and preventing colleges from withholding transcripts of courses paid for with federal money. 

Monday, March 11, 2024

While not quite ready to rival McDonalds' number of hamburgers sold yet

the Office of Information Policy did recently announce that in 2023 the 120 federal government agencies combined processed over one million Freedom of Information Act requests. 

This number of requests is nearly 30% higher than in 2022 and indicates a continuing trend of growing demand for government information. 

All data on information requests is held at FOIA.gov which since 2011 has been the dashboard for reporting by government agencies on statistics concerning FOIA requests. Reporting FOIA statistics is required by law; each agency must submit a report to the Attorney General annually. Since these reports are all published on FOIA.gov, the public can retrieve historical data as well as compile comparative data among agencies. There is no central agency for receiving and processing FOIA requests, but FOIA.gov is the central arena for agencies to submit their reports. 

The Freedom of Information Act was first passed by Congress in 1966 and last amended in 2016. It gives any member of the public the right to request information from any federal agency. There are nine exemptions to agencies’ required response based on personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. Agencies are required to report partial information on requested topics when they can. The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) helps resolve disputes between requesters of information and government agencies who say they cannot disclose the information requested. The Office of Information Policy within the Department of Justice is responsible for guidance to the government agencies on FOIA.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Soldiers of the Houston Riot of 1917 Finally Receive Some Justice




On February 22, 2024, the Veterans Administration held a memorial service for 17 of the 19 Black soldiers unjustly court martialed and executed in the “largest mass execution of American Soldiers by the U.S. Army” following the Houston Riot of 1917. The soldiers are buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Their graves were also dedicated with new headstones including names, state, rank, unit, date of death, indicating that they were honorably discharged. An interpretive sign was also placed at the gravesite telling the story of these men, and the 110 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (also known as the Buffalo Soldiers) convicted of murder and mutiny following the riots. 

In July 1917, Camp Logan was established, in the area now known as Memorial Park, as a training ground for soldiers following the U.S. entering World War I. The all-Black 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment was sent to guard the camp. Tensions between the soldiers, many Northerners unfamiliar with Jim Crow laws of segregation, and the all-White Houston Police Department soon ran high. On August 23rd, Private Alonzo Edwards attempted to aid a Black woman, Sara Travers, being harassed by the police. Edwards was beaten and arrested. When Corporal Charles Baltimore went to inquire about Edwards, he too was beaten and shot at while he ran away. Rumors reached camp that Baltimore had been killed. Although Baltimore was eventually found to be alive, more rumors flew of an angry white mob approaching the camp. Fear and desire for retaliation inspired soldiers to arm themselves and march toward downtown Houston. By the end of the dark, rainy night, 19 were dead (four soldiers and fifteen white civilians and police officers). 

118 soldiers were tried by the Army for mutiny and murder in a process that historians state was “characterized by numerous irregularities” including poor representation and unreliable witnesses. The Army quickly began to realize problems with the convictions. Because “the first set of executions occurred in secrecy and within a day of sentencing,” the Army immediately changed regulations so that any future executions following court martial requires a review by the War Department and the President. Ten soldiers sentenced to death were pardoned. But it wasn’t until 2022 that an investigation was opened by the Army to review the process of the trials. 

On November 13, 2023, the Army set aside all court martial convictions of the soldiers involved in the riots. Their records were corrected, their military service was designated honorable, and the entitlement to benefits by their relatives were reinstated. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth stated "After a thorough review, the Board has found that these Soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials. By setting aside their convictions and granting honorable discharges, the Army is acknowledging past mistakes and setting the record straight." According to Stars and Stripes “As part of the closing of [the November] ceremony, Army Brig. Gen. Ronald Sullivan read to the audience the words that will be added to the sign at Fort Sam Houston. ‘The Army viewed the cases in 2023 and determined the widespread racism and tension that triggered the 1917 Houston Riot pervaded the trials for these soldiers, making their trials unfair,’ he read. ‘The Secretary of the Army set aside all convictions and directed the soldiers’ records reflect honorable discharges.’” In December 2023, The Houston Chronicle apologized for its editorials at the time.



Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Want to Help the Future Farmers of America?


During the Depression of the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created to invigorate the economy, create paying jobs so Americans could live and support their families, and, in response to the agricultural situation caused by the Dust Bowl, revitalize farmland across the country.  Today’s farmers and ranchers again face economic difficulties and climate change realities, including devastating droughts.  Hence the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created another corps for today’s problems – the Working Lands Climate Corps

The Working Lands Climate Corps falls under the umbrella of the American Climate Corps which was founded by the Biden-Harris administration to “to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy. The American Climate Corps will put a new generation of Americans to work conserving our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and tackling climate change. American Climate Corps members will gain the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities after they complete their paid training or service program.”

Specifically, the Working Lands Climate Corps will train young people to help farmers and ranchers use climate-smart agricultural practices that are also economically beneficial.  The members of the Working Lands Climate Corps will learn practical skills and create a pathway to a career in agriculture.  The first cohort will contain 100 people. 

Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are often left behind by government programs, yet the impact of climate change disproportionately affects them.  The goals of the USDA are to transform America’s food system into a more equitable one whose workforce is representative of the nation and who can compete fairly in new and existing markets.  The agency wishes to emphasize local and regional farms and ranches that are more resilient and can provide safe, healthy, and nutritious food to all Americans using climate-smart food and forestry practices.  The agency has pledged to provide historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities to rural communities to accomplish these goals. 

Interested organizations can submit grant proposals to host workers of the WLCC cohort.  These host organizations can be “nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) U.S. organizations, Tribal governments, units of state or local government, and special district governments. Applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration.”  The hosts will provide the WLCC workers training in “climate-smart agriculture practices, conservation and resilience planning, environmental justice, outreach with farmers and rural communities, leadership development, and more.”

The organization and running of the WLCC program will include cooperation among such government and non-profit agencies such as USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), AmeriCorps, The Corps Network and the National Association of ConservationDistricts (NACD). The NACD will be a major contributor to the effort because of their relationships with “conservation districts” that go all the way back to the days of the CCC.

Press Release: As part of President Biden’s AmericanClimate Corps, USDA Launches New Working Lands Climate Corps to Train FutureConservation and Climate Leaders on Climate-Smart Agriculture


Monday, January 29, 2024

Library of Congress Creates Covid-19 Oral History Project

 


Oral histories, which record the intimate perceptions of people who have gone through a significant event, are a very important part of understanding history.  The goal of oral history projects is often to record the experiences of a group of people affected before they all pass away.  Some examples of these are the Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 collected by the Federal Government during the Depression, The Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive held at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which collects testimonies of Jews, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, political prisoners, liberators, collaborators, witnesses, and rescuers, and the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation oral history collection of a series of interviews from 2011 called "500 Oral Histories Project" (the Houston area interviews are housed at Rice University’s Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library). 

However, the closer the collection of stories can be to the time the events took place the better for time always affects one’s perspective on events.  Therefore, the Library of Congress has recently partnered with the non-profit company StoryCorps to create an archive of stories from anyone effected by the recent Covid-19 pandemic in order to record these stories as soon as possible.  These stories will become part of the American Folklife Center collections and will be made available through StoryCorps archive.  Stories may be recorded at the Covid-19 Archive Activation website. 

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden stated “Curators and specialists at the Library of Congress are skilled at documenting history as it happens. Recording the voices and stories of Americans’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic for our national collections will honor this history and ensure these stories will not be forgotten. We are proud to collaborate with StoryCorps on this important work to build this archive of oral histories.”  Nicole Saylor, director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress says “We are particularly interested in doing this work through people’s stories, as storytelling is a crucial medium of communication and central to the work of the American Folklife Center.”

The collection is meant to commemorate and honor those lost to the illness, those whose lives were unalterably affected by the pandemic and those who worked the front lines during the crisis.  Moreover, preserving the stories will be an essential primary source to future generations attempting to analyze and understand the events on a national level. 

Anyone and everyone are encouraged to participate in the project, for a variety of voices with a variety of experiences and a variety of perspectives will create the fullest resource from which historians, researchers, and others interested in the events can draw. 

Monday, January 22, 2024

No More Driving With Cake

You’ve probably seen a recent meme on Facebook directing drivers that, because of current winter conditions, they should “drive with cake.”  Or you’ve seen some of the Texas road signs such as “Only Rudolph Should Drive Lit” or “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You, Buckle Up.”  These types of signs have been created by both the Texas Department of Transportation and/or the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage drivers to be careful driving on state and federal highways. 

However, soon you will no longer be able to see these signs.  In the recently updated manual of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration , guidelines were published banning them.  Electronic signs with "obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny" are required to be phased out within the next couple of years and all signs must be "simple, direct, brief, legible and clear," to "relay important information."

These changes were released by the U.S. Department of Transportation on December 19, 2023 and published in the Federal Register on the same day.  (The Federal Register daily publishes changes to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.)  The regulations went into effect on January 18, 2024. 

Although these new regulations may make your driving experience less entertaining, the Houston Chronicle has reported that when electronic traffic signs report information other than current traffic situations or weather conditions, such as the number of fatalities on Texas roads up to a certain date, risk of traffic accidents increases. 


Wednesday, January 10, 2024

GovInfo Reaches Record Number of Hits

Since 1994 the Government Publishing Office or GPO (formerly the Government Printing Office) has been providing trustworthy government information online for free to anyone.  The GPO is a government agency falling under the legislative branch of government and by law provides free access to government documents produced by all three branches of government.  Until the onset of electronic access, the only way to accomplish this was through the Federal Depository Library Program whereby documents are sent to designated government libraries across the country.  Now, in conjunction with the FDLP, government information is widely available online through the site GovInfo.gov.

Last year a record number of 1.15 billion retrievals were accessed through GovInfo.  This is an increase of 32% over 2022 and an increase of 215% over 2018! The most popular source of information in 2023 was the Federal Register (the Federal Register is a daily compilation of documents produced by the Executive branch including changes to federal regulations, notices from federal agencies, executive orders and other presidential documents).

The GPO’s electronic dissemination of information began in 1994 with the creation of GPOAccess.  In 2009 the next generation system, the Federal Digital System (FDsys), was introduced.  In 2016, the current site GovInfo was launched.  But the GPO is not only assigned the duty of spreading government information; it is also given the responsibility to preserve government documents for future posterity, including those documents born digital.  In 2019 GovInfo was the first US digital depository, and the second in the world, to be certified as having the “highest global standard of excellence possible” in providing access and preservation to these important materials.