Google has launched Google Flu Trends, a web page where you can find up-to-date influenza-related activity estimates for each of the 50 states in the United States. Google Flu Trends uses aggregated user search queries for “flu”-related searches to estimate flu activity in the United States.

http://www.google.org/flutrends/

You can also download Flu Trends raw data (in text format) "containing weekly influenza-like illness (ILI) estimates for the United States. Data is provided for each individual state, the nine influenza surveillance regions, and the entire United States." The raw data is in text format that can be opened using a spreadsheet application.

2008 Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has just released its 2008 report to Congress. "The Commission cites Chinese cyber attacks, authoritarian rule, and trade violations as impediments to U.S. economic and national security interests, and offers 45 recommendations to Congress." The Commission was created to monitor the national security implications of trade and economic relations between the U.S. and the P.R.C.

For more information, access the USCC website and previous reports.

2008 Live Piracy Map

This website profiles piracy incidents involving attacks in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Far East, South and Central America, and the Caribbean for the year 2008. The user may click on a map for more information on any given attack. For each incident, details are provided for the type of vessel, date and location of attack, and success of attack. A brief description of the event is also included.

Readers may also be interested in the following:
Weekly Piracy Report

A new report just released by the Center for American Progress calls for new strategies to address U.S. efforts in reducing its nuclear arsenal and uphold its nuclear non-proliferation objectives. The report, Orienting the 2009 Nuclear Posture Review: A Roadmap, is co-authored by Andrew Grotto of the Center for American Progress and Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund.

A new report released today by the Center for American Progress reports the top 101 chemical production facilities are still inadequately secured even after adding increased physical security measures such as gates and guards.

The report, Chemical Security 101: What You Don’t Have Can’t Leak, or Be Blown Up by Terrorists, discusses several options that would make attacks on chemical facilities less attractive to terrorists.

Interactive Map of Chemical Facilities

Department of Homeland Security: A Strategic Approach Is Needed to Better Ensure the Acquisition Workforce Can Meet Mission Needs
"GAO was asked to identify and assess DHS's efforts to build and sustain an effective acquisition workforce and determine the extent to which DHS has planned strategically for the acquisition workforce. To conduct the work, GAO collected and reviewed data and interviewed officials from the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), DHS's nine procurement offices, and nine program offices, and reviewed in detail workforce information and data for acquisition support contracts from selected offices.

Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the U.S.: Full Text of Final Rule
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has enacted new rules changing the procedure for private aircraft to provide advance notice of their intended arrival or departure, and submit manifests of the persons on board. The new process is similar to the one currently in use by commercial aircraft and will standardize advance notice procedures for all CBP airports of entry. CBP is working to strengthen general aviation security by further minimizing the vulnerability of general aviation flights being used to deliver illicit materials, transport dangerous individuals, or employ the aircraft as a weapon." Press Release and Fact Sheets

The White House released on Tuesday an Executive Order detailing the future of the National Air Transportation System. Executive Order: Transformation of the National Air Transportation System refers to implementation of the "Next Generation Air Transportation System (NexGen) which section 709 of Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (Public Law 108-176)(Act) refers.

Securing the Bomb 2008

The purpose of this annual report, commissioned by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, "is to outline the danger of nuclear terrorism, to assess what has and has not been done to reduce it, and to suggest an agenda of actions that could dramatically reduce the risk during the next presidential term." Chapters in the report include both qualitative and quantitative measures of progress; analyses of requested budgets for programs to secure nuclear weapons, materials, and expertise; and recommendations for future steps.

For more information:
Securing the Bomb Press Release
Securing the Bomb Overview

Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission 120-Day Report to Governor Chet Culver
This report from the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission to Iowa Governor Chet Culver provides the current status of recovery efforts from the floods, tornadoes and severe weather experienced during the spring and summer of 2008 in Iowa. "Stemming from the charge given it in Governor Chet Culver's Executive Order Seven in June 2008, the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission completed initial work and a 45-Day Report with recommendations for immediate recovery initiatives." This document represents the second phase of that work. Rebuild Iowa Office website