The federal government has released a final report on the causes of the economic and financial crisis of 2007-2010. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report was written by the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis of the United States. President Obama created the commission in May 2009 and the ten-member bipartisan commission reviewed millions of documents, interviewed 700 persons and held 19 days of public hearings across the country. The 662-page report includes the commission’s conclusions and 126 pages of dissenting views.

As of February 10, 2011, the Library has received the Michigan tax forms and the Federal 1040 Instruction Booklets.

The federal government will not be mailing forms to individuals this year. Also, due to a Congress decision on tax issues late in December, the IRS is facing delays in printing and shipping of many of the 2010 tax forms and tax preparation booklets. As a result of this delay, libraries do not expect most forms and booklets until some time in February. The Library does have a limited number and types of forms now. However, if you cannot wait until February, you can place phone orders at 800-829-3676 or you can request forms and publications online at www.irs.gov. The forms and publications will be sent to you by U.S. Mail.

The Commission advising the president on the April BP Deepwater Horizon well blowout has released its final report. The 380-page report, Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling, details the events that killed 11 workers and dumped nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The report also outlines changes that should be made in company behavior, government oversight, and energy investments in the wake of the spill. The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling also released a separate 63-page report with its recommendations.

How safe is the nation's food supply? Preventing food borne illness and regulating the food industry has been the subject of spirited debate in recent years, and Congress took a key step recently in approving the Food Modernization Safety Act. To read the text of the act, visit the link for H.R. 2751 at Thomas, the website for Congress. A summary of the legislation is posted at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s website. For additional information on food safety, visit FoodSafety.gov, the federal gateway to food safety facts and information; the Food Safety section of the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC); the Food page of the FDA; the Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); and the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services page.