Recent media reports have shown a few of the many ways to use FedSpending.org, our new online database that lets you track how the federal government spends money.

Some articles have used FedSpending to show the local impact of federal spending. An article in the Washington Examiner used FedSpending.org to calculate the total amount of all contracts that are handled by companies in the Washington, DC area. And a report in the Salt Lake City Tribune covered total federal dollars that Utah received.

Federal Times used data from FedSpending.org to showcase the rapid increase in government contracting since 2000.

And Government Executive Magazine included results from FedSpending to help connect the dots in a government corruption case.

Let us know what ways you use FedSpending.org or see it used in your local area, and we'll put them on the blog (you can email me at mlewis at ombwatch.org).

Budget pressures may lead to the elimination of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program for low-income people and minorities. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

A federal program to safeguard poor and racially diverse communities from pollution and other environmental harm is at risk of being dissolved, activists say.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Northwest regional office has proposed reassigning members of its environmental-justice program to new divisions and eliminating its director's position, according to government officials.

That could affect Northwest environmental-justice issues, including the exposure of minority and low-income communities to polluting businesses and toxic cleanup sites in South Seattle, the higher use of pesticides by minority and migrant workers in agricultural areas, and Native American exposure to pollution created by mining activities and former military sites.

The launch of OMB Watch's powerful new Web-based tool for tracking government spending and congressional accountability will be held at 9:30 a.m.next Wednesday Oct. 10, in the Lisagor Room of the National Press Club.

Update:
The press conference in Washington on Tuesday, October 10 will also be webcast - so you can join in on the excitment from anywhere. Sign up for a reminder from OMB Watch by email on Tuesday morning about the event.