Sens. Lee, Grassley, Murkowski, Blackburn, and Rubio Introduce Inspector General Access Act
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Inspector General Access Act of 2019 today, a bill that would expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General to include alleged DOJ attorney misconduct.
“Our federal government inspectors general do a valuable job providing the information voters and lawmakers need to hold federal government agencies accountable,” Sen. Lee said. “Unfortunately, the Department of Justice OIG currently does not have the power to review the conduct of DOJ attorneys, an oversight which this legislation corrects.”
“Federal prosecutors wield tremendous authority to enforce our laws. Any abuse of that authority should be thoroughly and independently investigated to uphold the public trust. Leaving those investigations to other Department attorneys opens the door to real or perceived conflicts of interest, which must be avoided. The Inspector General Access Act ensures that allegations of misconduct by DOJ lawyers are reviewed by independent department watchdogs instead of other DOJ attorneys,” Grassley said.
“The American people rightly expect that all government employees, including federal prosecutors, are held to the highest ethical and professional standards,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) “To that end, our nation’s inspectors general provide an important public service by making sure Congress has all the information it needs to hold agencies accountable. It simply doesn’t make sense that current law excludes the conduct of DOJ attorneys from the same level of accountability.”
“Inspectors General play an integral role in independently evaluating and investigating alleged instances of waste, fraud, and abuse across federal government agencies and programs, including allegations of employee misconduct,” Rubio said. “However, current law does not allow the DOJ Inspector General to review the conduct of DOJ attorneys. This bill rectifies that by providing the DOJ Inspector General with the appropriate authority to independently and transparently evaluate allegations of misconduct by DOJ attorneys.”
The Inspector General Access Act solves the problems that have long plagued oversight of DOJ lawyers by simply striking the jurisdictional carve out in § 8E of the Inspector General Act. As a result, DOJ’s Inspector General would be fully empowered to investigate allegations of professional misconduct against department lawyers. In addition to enhancing oversight and public accountability at DOJ, this simple, common sense reform will bring DOJ in line with the practices in other federal agencies where allegations of attorney professional misconduct are already subject to investigation by Inspectors General.
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Jennifer Gardiner seeks to delight children's imagination and encourage them to believe in themselves
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Jennifer Gardiner’s passion for telling stories through her art has led her to author and illustrate her first children’s book titled “A Trip Around the Pond” (published by Xlibris). Inspired by her grandchildren, she hopes to share imaginative stories of life as seen through the eyes of young children.
“A Trip Around the Pond” tells the story of Georgette Mae’s fanciful search for the city of Paris. After complaining of boredom, Georgette’s granny encourages her to spend her day traveling around the pond. Along the way, Georgette encounters many adventures.
Complemented with hand-painted illustrations, the book captures a young child’s innocent heart and vivid imagination. Moreover, the story displays an endearing relationship between a little girl and her granny.
When asked what she wants children to take away from the book, Gardiner says, “It’s okay to believe in yourself. It’s okay to have a fanciful imagination.”
“A Trip Around the Pond”
By Jennifer Gardiner
Hardcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 34 pages | ISBN 9781984570130
Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 34 pages | ISBN 9781984570123
E-Book | 34 pages | ISBN 9781984570116
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Jennifer Gardiner is an author, artist, wife, mother and grandmother. She is a partner in her family farms. Gardiner is known for her unique artistic talents and flair for design. She has spent many years encouraging children to use their imaginations to draw and paint without inhibition. “A Trip Around the Pond” is her first publication.
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
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Who's Ready?
GIRLS ON THE RUN STARTS NEXT WEEK!
Another amazing season of Girls on the Run starts in LESS THAN ONE WEEK and it's not too late to register. With over 100 teams in Utah, your girl can join the fun! If there isn't a Girls on the Run team at your school, sign up with another team near you.
A full list of teams and their practice dates/times can be found here.
Girls on the Run is for EVERY girl, and we NEVER turn a girl away for inability to pay. For information on receiving financial assistance, please contact our Program Director Ivy Denihan at ivy@girlsontherunutah.org.
Girls on the Run Sites (3rd-5th grade)
American Academy of Innovation
American Prep Academy Draper 1
American Preparatory Academy Draper 2
Armstrong Academy
Backman Elementary
Beacon Heights Elementary
Beehive Elementary
Bluffdale Elementary
Bonneville Elementary
Bountiful Elementary
Brookhaven Elementary
Butler Elementary
Calvin Smith Elementary
Canyon Rim Academy
Canyon View Elementary
Clinton Elementary
Copper Hills
Creekside Elementary
Crestview Elementary
DaVinci Academy
Daybreak Community Center
Dilworth Elementary
Draper Elementary
Early Light Academy
Edison Elementary
Emerson Elementary
Ensign Elementary
Entheos Academy
Escalante Elementary
Foxboro Elementary
Franklin Elementary
Grant Elementary
Grovecrest Elementary
Harvest Elementary
Highland Park Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary (Logan)
Holbrook Elementary
Horizon Elementary
Indian Hills Elementary
J.E. COSGRIFF
Jeremy Ranch Elementary
J.R. Smith Elementary
Kearns Saint Ann School
Leadership Learning Academy
Liberty Elementary
Lone Peak Elementary
Longview Elementary
Madeleine Choir
Majestic Elementary
Manila Elementary School
Mary W. Jackson Elementary School
McGillis School
Midvalley Elementary School
Midway Elementary
Monte Vista Elementary School
Morningside Elementary
Mountain View Elementary
Oakwood Elementary
Odyssey Elementary
Oquirrh Elementary
Parkside Elementary (Davis)
Parley's Park Elementary
James E. Moss Elementary School
Provo Recreation Center
Rolling Meadows Elementary
Rose Park Elementary
Rowland Hall
Sam Morgan Elementary
Snow Horse Elementary
Soldier Hollow Charter School
South Clearfield Elementary
South Kearns Elementary
St. Francis Xavier
St. Vincent de Paul
Thunder Ridge Elementary
Trailside Elementary School
Twin Peaks Elementary
Uintah Elementary
Urban Indian Center
Utah Virtual Academy
Viewmont Elementary School
Wasatch Elementary
West Valley STEM Elementary
Whittier Elementary
William Penn Elemetnary
Woodstock Elementary
Heart & Sole Sites (6th-8th grade)
Albion Middle
American International School of Utah
Clayton Middle School
Daybreak Community Center
Ecker Hill Middle
Glendale Middle School
Hillcrest Junior High School
Rocky Mountain Middle School
St. Francis Xavier
St. Vincent de Paul
Urban Indian Center
Wasatch Junior High
Weilenmann School of Discovery
West High ELP
Spread the Word!
Help us serve more girls in Utah by telling your friends and family about Girls on the Run! As a non-profit after school program, we are dedicated to inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.
Registration for Camp GOTR in NOW OPEN
The best of Girls on the Run with all the fun of summer camp!
Rowland Hall Camp 1
Girls have Heart • June 17-21
Rowland Hall Camp 2
Girls have Power • July 15-19
Eastmont Middle School Camp 1
Girls have Heart • June 17-20 (no camp Fridays)
Eastmont Middle School Camp 2
Girls have Power • June 24-27 (no camp Fridays)
South Jordan Health Center Camp
Girls have Power • July 29-Aug 2
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DREAM STATE
Release New Single
Upcoming UK Tour including appearances at
2000trees, Groezrock, Teddy Rocks and Handmade
March 6, 2019 - South Wales, UK - Alt-rock quintet Dream State have finally given fans a taste of new music with today's release of "Hand In Hand." It is an anthem written for the Dream State fans and family. "To all those who need something they can lean on, we want the music and lyrics to help you feel less alone with what you're dealing with mentally. Despite all of us feeling the same way, we can still live our lives and make something of it. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, you just gotta give all you got!" shares vocalist CJ Gilpin. After premiering on Radio 1 Rock Show this weekend, "Hand in Hand" is available for streaming everywhere at https://unfd.lnk.to/HandInHand.
Dream State is currently in the studio recording their debut album, due out later this year, with Dan Weller. Following a massive UK and European tour with The Amity Affliction and European dates with Neck Deep, the band are about to head off on their biggest ever UK headline tour to date. They will be playing 24 shows in less than a month, with cities like Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Brighton already sold out. For more information on tour dates and to purchase tickets, please go to https://dreamstateofficial.com/.
"Hand in Hand" is the band's first release since last year's Recovery EP, which has been streamed over 16M times. The EP has received praise from outlets like Louder, Rock Sound and Kerrang!, who states, "This five-song collection is, simply, fucking brilliant." The band even won the award for "Best British Newcomer" for last year's Kerrang! Awards.
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Dream State is CJ Gilpin (vocals), Aled Evans (guitar), Rhys Wilcox (guitar), Danny Rayer (bass), and Jamie Lee (drums).
Follow Dream State:
Website: https://dreamstateofficial.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamStateUKOfficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamstateuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamstateuk/
