U.S. Updates Clinical Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections among HIV-Exposed and HIV-Infected Children
"New guidelines to assist health care workers in preventing and treating the secondary infections that can afflict U.S. children exposed to, or infected with, HIV, were published by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new guidelines provide a reference manual for the treatment of these secondary infections, describing warning signs of potentially hazardous interactions between drugs used to treat HIV and its secondary infections, current standards for treating the inflammation accompanying the immune system recovery made possible by new anti-HIV drugs, as well as when to discontinue preventative treatment no longer needed after the immune system has recovered.

HIV cripples the immune system, leaving infected people more vulnerable than the general population to numerous other infectious diseases. These diseases, which ordinarily do not cause problems for people with fully functioning immune systems, are known as opportunistic infections. HIV-associated opportunistic infections are a leading cause of hospitalization and death among HIV-infected children in the United States. Some of these opportunistic infections can also afflict children who do not have HIV but who have one or both parents with HIV and specific HIV-related opportunistic infections..."

The Current Financial Crisis: What Should We Learn from the Great Depressions of the Twentieth Century?
"Studying the experience of countries that have experienced great depressions during the
twentieth century teaches us that massive public interventions in the economy to maintain
employment and investment during a financial crisis can, if they distort incentives enough, lead
to a great depression."

Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil
"Why Do You Need to Be Concerned About Lead?
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead also can be emitted into the air from motor vehicles and industrial sources, and lead can enter drinking water from plumbing materials. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

Most Common Sources of Lead Poisoning:
Deteriorating lead-based paint
Lead contaminated dust
Lead contaminated residential soil..."

2008 State Snapshots
"he State Snapshots provide State-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. The goal is to help State officials and their public- and private-sector partners better understand health care quality and disparities in their State.

State-level information used to create the State Snapshots is based on data collected for the National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)."

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
"...Although U.S. officials have become critical of the leadership of Afghan President Hamid
Karzai—particularly his decision to rely on regional faction leaders—some experts believe that
there is substantial progress to build on, including completion of the post-Taliban political
transition with adoption of a new constitution in January 2004, presidential elections in October
2004, parliamentary elections in September 2005. Others say Karzai’s relatively conciliatory
approach to governing accounts for the absence of violent ethnic conflict. The parliament has
become an arena for formerly armed factions to resolve differences, as well as a center of political pressure on Karzai. Afghan citizens, including women, are enjoying personal freedoms forbidden by the Taliban. Karzai will be tested politically in the presidential and provincial elections on August 20, 2009, which are being held amid major security difficulties, although Karzai remains the favorite for re-election, according to recent polls.

Of the approximately 63,000 U.S. forces that will be in Afghanistan by September 2009, most are
part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that operates throughout
Afghanistan. The remainder are under the separate U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S.
and partner forces also run 26 regional enclaves to secure reconstruction (Provincial
Reconstruction Teams, PRTs), and are expanding an Afghan National Army and reforming an
Afghan National Police force—the two combined now total about 165,000. The United States has
provided about $40 billion in assistance to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, of which
about $18 billion was to equip and train the security forces. Breakdowns are shown in the tables
at the end. See also CRS Report RL33627, NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic
Alliance, by Vincent Morelli and Paul Belkin; and CRS Report RL32686, Afghanistan: Narcotics
and U.S. Policy, by Christopher M. Blanchard."

Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Legislation in the 111th Congress
"The individual states have been acknowledged as the primary regulators of insurance as far back as 1868. Since the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act, this system has operated with the specific blessing of Congress, but has also been subject to periodic scrutiny and suggestions that the time may have come for Congress to take back the regulatory authority that it granted to the states. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, congressional scrutiny was largely driven by the increasing complexities of the insurance business and concern over whether the states were up to the task of ensuring consumer protections, particularly insurer solvency. Prior to the recent financial crisis, congressional interest in insurance regulation focused on the inefficiencies in the state regulatory system. A major catalyst for congressional interest has been the aftermath of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (GLBA), which modernized the regulatory structure for banks and securities firms, but left the insurance sector largely untouched. Many larger insurers, and their trade associations, had previously defended state regulation but consider themselves at a competitive disadvantage in the current regulatory structure. They are now largely arguing for an optional federal charter akin to that available to banks..."

Treatment of Noncitizens in H.R. 3200
"This report outlines the treatment of noncitizens (aliens) under H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable
Health Choices Act of 2009. In particular, the report analyzes specific provisions in H.R. 3200,
and whether there are eligibility requirements for noncitizens in the provisions. Within the bill,
noncitizens are treated differently in several provisions. In 2008, there were approximately 37.3
million foreign-born persons in the United States. The foreign-born population was comprised of
approximately 15.1 million naturalized U.S. citizens and 22.2 million noncitizens.

H.R. 3200 includes an individual mandate to have health insurance, with tax penalties for
noncompliance. Individuals who do not maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for
themselves and their children would be required to pay an additional tax. Some individuals,
including nonresident aliens, would be exempt from the individual mandate. “Nonresident alien”
is a term under tax but not immigration law. For federal tax purposes, alien individuals are
classified as resident or nonresident aliens. In general, an individual is a nonresident alien unless he or she meets the qualifications under a residency test. Thus, legal permanent residents, and noncitizens and unauthorized aliens who qualify as resident aliens (i.e., meet the substantial
presence test), would be required under H.R. 3200 to have health insurance..."

FEMA Disaster Photo Library
"The FEMA on line Photo Library contains more than 16,500 disaster related photographs made since 1989. The collection is composed almost entirely of declared disasters and there are also photographs from FEMA public events which have occurred in Washington, DC.

The photographs are of Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Typhoons, Fires, Avalanches, Ice Storms, Blizzards, World Trade Center and Pentagon Terrorist Attacks, Earthquakes, and the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster.

There are several kinds of photographs in the collection:

Disaster workers (Urban Search and Rescue, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, National Guard, Red Cross, US Army Corps of Engineers, Forestry Service, IRS, State Disaster Workers, Salvation Army, Citizen Corps) helping disaster victims.
Damage to private property and infrastructure (roads and buildings).
Success story photos where a modification to a building or house lessened the damage from a natural disaster.
FEMA employees and volunteers in training exercises.
FEMA provided temporary housing for displaced citizens due to a disaster.
Elected or appointed officials surveying the disaster and providing support to disaster workers and victims"

Global Gateway: World Culture and Resources
Varied resources highlighting information available in the international collections of the Library of Congress.

Health Status and Health Care Access of Farm and Rural Populations
"Rural residents have higher rates of age-adjusted mortality, disability, and chronic disease than their urban counterparts, though mortality and disability rates vary more by region than by metro status. Contributing negatively to the health status of rural residents are their lower socioeconomic status, higher incidence of both smoking and obesity, and lower levels of physical activity. Contributing negatively to the health status of farmers are the high risks from workplace hazards, which also affect other members of farm families who live on the premises and often share in the work; contributing positively are farmers’ higher socioeconomic status, lower incidence of smoking, and more active lifestyle. Both farm and rural populations experience lower access to health care along the dimensions of affordability, proximity, and quality, compared with their nonfarm and urban counterparts."

Baby Boom Migration and Its Impact on Rural America
"Members of the baby boom cohort, now 45-63 years old, are approaching a period in their lives when moves to rural and small-town destinations increase. An analysis of age-specific, net migration during the 1990s reveals extensive shifts in migration patterns as Americans move through different life-cycle stages. Assuming similar age patterns of migration, this report identifies the types of nonmetropolitan counties that are likely to experience the greatest surge in baby boom migration during 2000-20 and projects the likely impact on the size and distribution of retirement-age populations in destination counties. The analysis finds a significant increase in the propensity to migrate to nonmetro counties as people reach their fifties and sixties and projects a shift in migration among boomers toward more isolated settings, especially those with high natural and urban amenities and lower housing costs. If baby boomers follow past migration patterns, the nonmetro population age 55-75 will increase by 30 percent between now and 2020."

New Rule Prohibiting Unwanted "Robocalls" to Take Effect on September 1
"Beginning September 1, 2009, prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls to consumers – commonly known as robocalls – will be prohibited, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls, the Federal Trade Commission announced today.

“American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. “Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations, and malicious marketing will be illegal. If consumers think they’re being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them.”

The new requirement is part of amendments to the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) that were announced a year ago. After September 1, sellers and telemarketers who transmit prerecorded messages to consumers who have not agreed in writing to accept such messages will face penalties of up to $16,000 per call..."

State Fact Sheets
"State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and top commodities, exports, and counties for each state in the United States."

Secretary Sebelius Releases New Report: America’s Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare
"HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today issued a new report, America’s Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare. The report highlights the problems with the status quo that leave seniors paying escalating costs for their health care while outlining how health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare and protect coverage for seniors...

“Senior citizens have seen their premiums and out-of-pocket drug costs rise and without reform, many seniors on Medicare could lose access to the doctor they know and trust,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Health insurance reform will protect the coverage seniors depend on, improve the quality of care and help make Medicare strong.”

The report highlights current problems in the status quo and the solutions health insurance reform will provide, including:

Overpayments to Private Plans: A typical older couple in traditional Medicare will pay almost $90 next year on average to subsidize private insurance companies who are not providing their health benefits. Health insurance reform will eliminate these overpayments.

High Prescription Drug Prices: Health insurance reform will cut the drug costs that seniors have to bear in the “doughnut hole” by 50 percent.

Imminent Doctors’ Payment Cut will Limit Access: Because of a flawed system for paying physicians, Medicare is scheduled to reduce its fees next year by 21 percent next year. According to a recent survey by the American Medical Association, if Medicare payments are cut by even half that amount, or 10 percent, 60 percent of physicians report that they will reduce the number of new Medicare patients they will treat, and 40 percent will reduce the number of established Medicare patients they treat. Health insurance reform will stop this cut and ensure seniors can continue to see the doctor they know and trust.

Preventing Medicare from Going Bankrupt: The Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to be exhausted in eight years, sometime during 2017. Health insurance reform will reduce overpayments to private plans and clamp down on fraud and abuse to bring down premiums for all seniors and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund by five years."

FDA Consumer Health Information Updates
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released its latest listing of consumer health information updates. All articles can be accessed from the agency’s Web page for consumers. You can sign-up for e-mail notices of new consumer updates on an immediate, weekly, or monthly basis.
A Consumer Update RSS feed is also available.

-- Facing Facts About Acne
Acne can cause significant emotional distress, as well as permanent scarring of skin tissue. Here's a look at the various types of acne, treatments and tips for keeping acne under control.

-- FDA Expands Access to Investigational Drugs
The FDA has announced changes to the rules to make them broader and clearer for the patient and the treating physician, while still preserving the integrity of clinical trials designed to find out whether a drug has a desired effect on a disease or condition.

-- FDA's MedWatch Safety Alerts: August 2009
The FDA has issued recent safety alerts on these medical products. MedWatch is for reporting any unexpected side effects that occur while using human drugs, medical devices, vaccines and other biologics, dietary supplements, and cosmetics.

-- Warning on Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
The FDA has warned consumers about products that are being marketed for body building and that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances. Although these products are marketed as dietary supplements, they are in fact unapproved and misbranded drugs."

Panel Assesses Evidence for the Collection and Use of Family Health History Information
"Although most Americans are familiar with completing a questionnaire about their family health history when visiting health care providers, an independent panel was convened by the National Institutes of Health this week to critically assess exactly what we know and what we need to learn about how this process relates to improving health. The conference focused on the use of family history in the primary care setting for common diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease. Earlier today, the panel released their findings in a statement that is available at NIH Consensus Development Program

Information Technology Sector Baseline Risk Assessment
"...The IT Sector Baseline Risk Assessment evaluates risk to the IT Sector and focuses on critical IT Sector functions.1 The assessment methodology is not intended to be guidance for individual entities’ risk management activities. Instead, the IT Sector’s Baseline Risk Assessment is intended to provide an all-hazards risk profile that IT Sector partners can use to inform resource allocation for research and development and other protective program measures to enhance the security and resiliency of the critical IT Sector functions. By increasing the awareness of risks across the public and private sector domains, the Baseline Risk Assessment serves as a foundation for ongoing national-level collaboration to enhance the security and resiliency of the critical IT Sector functions..."

Census Bureau's Question and Answer Center
Find answers to your census and statistics related questions.

Office of National AIDS Policy
"The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is part of the White House Domestic Policy Council and is tasked with coordinating the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections across the United States. The Office emphasizes prevention through wide-ranging education initiatives and helps to coordinate the care and treatment of citizens with HIV/AIDS...

ONAP also coordinates with the National Security Council and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, and works with international bodies to ensure that America’s response to the global pandemic is fully integrated with other prevention, care, and treatment efforts around the world. Through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative, the U.S. has made enormous progress in responding to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, working with countries heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS to help expand access to treatment, care, and prevention..."

The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update, 2009
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the federal budget deficit for 2009 will total
$1.6 trillion, which, at 11.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), will be the highest since World War II. That deficit figure results from a combination of weak revenues and elevated spending associated with the economic downturn and financial turmoil. The deficit has been boosted by various federal policies implemented in response, including the stimulus legislation and aid for the financial, housing, and automotive sectors..."

CIA Inspector General Report Exposes Torture as U.S. Policy What were they hiding?A side-by-side comparison of the Bush and Obama versions of the CIA Inspector General report
"Today, the National Security Archive posted a side-by-side comparison of two very different versions of a 2004 report on the CIA's "Counterterrorism Detention and Interrogation Activities" by Agency Inspector General John Helgerson. Yesterday, the Obama administration released new portions of the report including considerably more information about the use of torture and other illegal practices by CIA interrogators than a version of the report declassified by the Bush administration in 2008. The report was first posted on the Web yesterday by the Washington Independent.

New revelations include:

Details on a number of “specific unauthorized or undocumented torture techniques” not mentioned in the 2008 release, including the use of guns, drills, threats, smoke, extreme cold, stress positions, “stiff brush and shackles,” mock executions and “hard takedown.” The Bush administration censured almost all portions of the document pertaining to specific torture techniques, save for a few references to waterboarding that omitted nearly all other contextual information.

A look at the legal reasoning behind the Agency’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” and the development of Agency guidance on capture, detention and interrogation.
A brief discussion of the history of CIA interrogation, including the "resurgence of interest in teaching interrogation techniques" in the early 1980s "as one of several methods to foster foreign liaison relationships."

The conclusion that, while CIA interrogations had produced useful intelligence, the “effectiveness of particular interrogation techniques in eliciting information that might not otherwise have been obtained” is not “so easily measured.”.."

Duncan, Sebelius Unveil Recommendations for Schools on How Learning Continues in Case of Flu Outbreak
"Today, Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and District of Columbia Chancellor of Public Schools Michelle Rhee joined with officials from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Scholastic Inc., Pearson, Curriki, and the International Association for Online Learning to announce new recommendations on the continuity of learning in the event of students absences or school closures due to seasonal or novel H1N1 flu.

The recommendations crafted by the Department of Education are designed to help education stakeholders start planning and acting now for the impact that seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza could have this fall and winter on schools and the learning process.

Government officials are especially concerned about the impact of H1N1 in schools because the virus appears to spread quickly among younger Americans. The Centers for Disease Control’s DC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently found that younger Americans, specifically children ages 6 months to 24 years, are one of the top priority groups when it comes to the new H1N1 vaccine..."
View Recommendations

Special Review: Counterterrorism Terrorism and Interrogation Activities, September 2001 - October 2003

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2008
"A total of 5,071 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2008, down from a total
of 5,657 fatal work injuries reported for 2007. While the 2008 results are preliminary, this figure represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first conducted in 1992. Final results for 2008 will be released in April 2010.

Based on these preliminary counts, the rate of fatal injury for U.S. workers in 2008 was 3.6 fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, down from the final rate of 4.0 in 2007. Please see the text box at the bottom of this page which describes an important change in the way the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculated rates this year."

EPA Releases New Guidebook to Encourage Smarter Community Design and Healthier Living for Seniors
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a new guidebook to help older adults access information about the importance of environmentally friendly community design and how to become involved in decisions about what is termed as “smart growth.” Smart growth covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger and more socially diverse.

"Growing Smarter, Living Healthier: A Guide to Smart Growth and Active Aging” addresses the basic principles of “age-friendly” neighborhoods and town designs that are healthier for people and the environment.

The guide offers suggestions and links to resources to learn more about how to remake neighborhoods to get around easier, whether someone lives in a city, suburb or small town. It also presents ideas for getting involved, providing housing options and gathering places, eating healthier and making it easier to carry out daily activities.

The guidebook also contains a self-assessment tool that allows communities to rate themselves based on how their communities are following the principles of smart growth."

2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season
"The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity occurring August through October. When applied to hurricanes, "Atlantic" generally refers to the entire "Atlantic Basin," which includes the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently issuing Public Advisories for the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Bill. Bill is a Category Three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor your local weather office. For storm information specific to your area outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service..."

Special Analysis, International Assessments of Student Performance, 2009
"The Condition of Education summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report, which the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required by law to produce, is an indicator report intended for a general audience of readers who are interested in education. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. For the 2009 edition, NCES prepared a special analysis to take a closer look at U.S. student performance on international assessments..."

Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009 – 2010 Influenza Season
"CDC is releasing new guidance that recommends actions that non-healthcare employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity during the 2009–2010 flu season.1 The guidance includes additional strategies to use if flu conditions become more severe and some new recommendations regarding when a worker who is ill with influenza may return to work. The guidance in this document may change as additional information about the severity of the 2009-2010 influenza season and the impact of 2009 H1N1 influenza become known. Please check www.flu.gov periodically for updated guidance

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with input from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has developed updated guidance for employers of all sizes to use as they develop or review and update plans to respond to 2009 H1N1 influenza now and during the upcoming fall and winter influenza season. Businesses and employers, in general, play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety, as well as in limiting the negative impact of influenza outbreaks on the individual, the community, and the nation’s economy. Employers who have developed pandemic plans should review and revise their plans in light of the current 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak to take into account the extent and severity of disease in their community as outlined in this guidance..."

Federal Wetlands Mapping Standard Approved
"Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the adoption of a Wetlands Mapping Standard that provides minimum requirements and guidelines for wetlands mapping efforts. The new standard is designed to guide current and future wetlands digital mapping projects and enhance the overall quality and consistency of wetlands data. Quality data on wetlands are considered critical for planning effective conservation strategies to benefit fish and wildlife resources now and in the future..."
View full document Wetlands Mapping Standards

Life Expectancy at All Time High; Death Rates Reach New Low, New Report Shows
"eaths per 100,000 population, both records, according to the latest mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report, “Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2007,” was issued today by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The data are based on nearly 90 percent of death certificates in the United States.

The 2007 increase in life expectancy – up from 77.7 in 2006 -- represents a continuation of a trend. Over a decade, life expectancy has increased 1.4 years from 76.5 years in 1997 to 77.9 in 2007."

Study Reveals Mercury Contamination in Fish Nationwide
"Scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study released today.

About a quarter of these fish were found to contain mercury at levels exceeding the criterion for the protection of people who consume average amounts of fish, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More than two-thirds of the fish exceeded the U.S. EPA level of concern for fish-eating mammals.

“This study shows just how widespread mercury pollution has become in our air, watersheds, and many of our fish in freshwater streams,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation’s waterways, and protect the public from potential health dangers.”

Some of the highest levels of mercury in fish were found in the tea-colored or “blackwater” streams in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana — areas associated with relatively undeveloped forested watersheds containing abundant wetlands compared to the rest of the country. High levels of mercury in fish also were found in relatively undeveloped watersheds in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest. Elevated levels are noted in areas of the Western United States affected by mining. Complete findings of the USGS report, as well as additional detailed studies in selected streams, are available online..."

Updated Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs Now Available
"A new, updated guide to finding local substance abuse treatment programs is now available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs 2009 provides information on thousands of alcohol and drug treatment programs located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and five U.S. territories.

The National Directory includes a nationwide inventory of public and private substance abuse and alcoholism treatment programs and facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved by substance abuse agencies in each state. The National Directory is organized in a state-by-state format for quick reference by health care providers, social workers, managed care organizations, and the general public and provides information on more than 11,000 community substance abuse treatment programs.

The directory provides important information on levels of care and types of facilities, including those with programs for adolescents, persons with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and pregnant women. In addition, information is available on forms of payment accepted, special language services available with select providers, and whether methadone or buprenorphine therapy is offered.

The updated directory complements SAMHSA’s internet-based Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator -- the online service, which is updated regularly and may contain more current information, provides searchable road maps to the nearest treatment facilities, complete addresses, phone numbers and specific information on services available. The electronic, searchable version of SAMHSA’s updated National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs is available on the Web at http://FindTreatment.samhsa.gov/."

CPSC to Enforce New CPSIA Requirements for Children’s Products Effective August 14
"On August 14, 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) will take effect that are aimed at making children’s products safer and increasing consumer confidence in the marketplace. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is educating domestic and overseas manufacturers, importers, and distributors of children’s products and other consumer goods of these important new safety requirements.

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said the CPSIA’s new requirements will help protect families and she urged businesses to comply. “I will ensure that these requirements are enforced vigorously and fairly,” said Tenenbaum. “By ensuring that toys and other children’s products meet strict lead limits and can be tracked in the event of a recall, I believe children will be better protected in their homes.”

The requirements that become effective on August 14 include:

Lead Content
The limit for lead in children’s products drops from 600 parts per million (ppm) to 300 ppm. After August 14, it will be unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, or offer for sale, a children’s product that has more than 300 ppm of lead in any part (except electronics) that is accessible to children.

Lead in Paint and Similar Surface Coating Materials
The limit for lead in paint and similar surface-coating materials for consumer use drops from 600 ppm to 90 ppm. The lead paint limits also apply to toys and other articles intended for children as well as certain furniture products. Products subject to these limits cannot be sold, offered for sale, imported or manufactured after August 14 unless they meet the new lower lead limits.

Civil Penalties
Civil penalties increase substantially to a maximum of $100,000 per violation and up to a maximum of $15 million for a related series of violations. Previously, civil penalties were a maximum of $8,000 per violation and up to a maximum of $1.825 million for a related series of violations.

Tracking Labels
Manufacturers must place permanent distinguishing marks (tracking label) on any consumer product primarily intended for children 12 and younger made on or after August 14, 2009. The permanent marks must enable consumers to ascertain basic information, including the manufacturer or private labeler, location, the date of manufacture, and more detailed information on the manufacturing process such as a batch or run number. The permanent distinguishing marks must appear on the product itself and its packaging to the extent practicable. Learn more about the tracking label requirement at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103.html#faqs

Catalog Advertising
Advertising for certain toys and games intended for use by children from three to six years old must have warnings regarding potential choking hazards to children younger than three. The requirement to include warnings in Internet advertisements went into effect on December 12, 2008. There was a grace period for the requirement for catalogues and other printed materials, but this grace period expired August 9, 2009. All catalogues and other printed materials distributed on or after August 9, 2009, regardless of when they were printed, must include the appropriate warnings."

Quality Initiatives Undertaken by the Veterans Health Administration
"With the return of veterans who have served in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
and with a much larger number of veterans from earlier eras who are turning to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for at least a portion of their health care, the department is
now treating more than 5 million veterans each year. Many observers have suggested that the
quality of care in the veterans’ health system has been bolstered by concerted efforts to track
performance measures, expand the use of health information technology, manage chronic
diseases, coordinate care by different providers, and enhance the provision of evidence-based
medical practices. The lessons learned by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) may
have implications for other components of the nation’s health care system.

In response to requests from the Chairmen of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and
the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the
House Committee on Appropriations, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has prepared
this assessment of quality improvement, cost and utilization of services, and health information
technology in the Veterans Health Administration. It examines VHA’s experience with
quality improvement and health information technology. The assessment also aims to
improve understanding of how VHA’s system serves its patients. That information may prove
useful as decisionmakers consider how veterans’ health care might be affected by proposals for
health care reform. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide impartial analysis, this paper
makes no recommendations..."

U.S. Military Stop Loss Program: Key Questions and Answers
"Stop Loss is a frequently misunderstood DOD force management program that retains
servicemembers beyond their contractually agreed-to separation date. Because of the involuntary
nature of this extension, some critics have referred to the program as a “backdoor draft” or
“involuntary servitude”.

Stop Loss was initially used in the 1990-91 Gulf War and later in Bosnia and the Kosovo Air
Campaign. All of the Services used Stop Loss at the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom
(OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) but only the Army has consistently employed some
form of Stop Loss over the past five years. Today, there are over 12,000 soldiers in the active
Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard who remain on active duty beyond their
scheduled separation date as a result of Stop Loss. While many observers tend to empathize with
those in Stop Loss status, others assert that every servicemember who has enlisted or reenlisted
over the past several years has been made aware of the program..."

Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
"After several decades of widespread stagnation, nuclear power is attracting renewed interest. New
license applications for 30 reactors have been announced in the United States, and another 150
are planned or proposed globally, with about a dozen more currently under construction. In the
United States, interest appears driven, in part, by tax credits, loan guarantees, and other incentives in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, as well as by potential greenhouse gas controls that may increase the cost of fossil fuels. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Energy is spending several hundred million dollars per year to develop the next generation of nuclear power technology.

Expanding global access to nuclear power, nevertheless, has the potential to lead to the spread of
nuclear technology that could be used for nuclear weapons. Despite 30 years of effort to limit
access to uranium enrichment, several undeterred states pursued clandestine nuclear programs;
the A.Q. Khan black market network’s sales to Iran and North Korea representing the most
egregious examples. Concern over the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technologies,
combined with a growing consensus that the world must seek alternatives to dwindling and
polluting fossil fuels, may be giving way to optimism that advanced nuclear technologies may
offer proliferation resistance..."

The U.S. Science and Technology Workforce
"In the 21st century, global competition and rapid advances in science and technology will
challenge the scientific and technical proficiency of the U.S. workforce. Policymakers often
discuss policy actions that could enhance the nation’s science and technology (S&T) workforce—
deemed by some as essential to both meet U.S. workforce demands as well as to generate the new
ideas that lead to improved and new industries that create jobs.

The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) addresses concerns regarding the S&T workforce
and STEM education, and the 111th Congress is debating funding for the programs authorized
within it. Policymaker discussions tend to focus on three issues: demographic trends and the
future S&T talent pool, the current S&T workforce and changing workforce needs, and the
influence of foreign S&T students and workers on the U.S. S&T workforce. Many perspectives
exist, however, on the supply and demand of scientists and engineers. Some question the
fundamental premise that any action is necessary at all regarding U.S. competitiveness. They
question whether or not the S&T workforce and STEM education are problems at all..."

The Manhattan Project, the Apollo Program, and Federal Energy Technology R&D Programs: A Comparative Analysis
"Some policymakers have concluded that the energy challenges facing the United States are so
critical that a concentrated investment in energy research and development (R&D) should be
undertaken. The Manhattan project, which produced the atomic bomb, and the Apollo program,
which landed American men on the moon, have been cited as examples of the success such R&D
investments can yield. Investment in federal energy technology R&D programs of the 1970s, in
response to two energy crises, have generally been viewed as less successful than the earlier two
efforts. This report compares and contrasts the three initiatives.

In 2008 dollars, the cumulative cost of the Manhattan project over 5 fiscal years was
approximately $22 billion; of the Apollo program over 14 fiscal years, approximately $98 billion;
of post-oil shock energy R&D efforts over 35 fiscal years, $118 billion. A measure of the nation’s
commitments to the programs is their relative shares of the federal outlays during the years of
peak funding: for the Manhattan program, the peak year funding was 1% of federal outlays; for
the Apollo program, 2.2%; and for energy technology R&D programs, 0.5%. Another measure of
the commitment is their relative shares of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) during the
peak years of funding: for the Manhattan project and the Apollo program, the peak year funding
reached 0.4% of GDP, and for the energy technology R&D programs, 0.1%..."

FDA Issues Public Health Notification on Glucose Monitoring Technology
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today advised health care practitioners and patients against using certain glucose monitoring technology that employs a specific test strip when the patients are also receiving therapeutic products containing non-glucose sugars.

Non-glucose sugars contained in some therapeutic products such as peritoneal dialysis solutions and certain immunoglobulins can falsely elevate glucose results, which may prompt excessive insulin administration. These therapeutic products, which are labeled to indicate that they may interfere with this particular glucose monitoring technology, are mostly used in patients with serious medical conditions, including kidney failure and moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

In a Public Health Notification and an accompanying Advice for Patients, the FDA listed the manufacturers and brands of glucose test strips that contain glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinoline quinone (GDH-PQQ)—the chemical that reacts with the non-glucose sugars (maltose, galactose and xylose) contained in some therapeutic products that produce a falsely high test result,

Most GDH-PQQ devices are used in health care facilities, which should instead use a laboratory assay to measure a patient's glucose if the patient is also receiving an interfering product. The FDA also makes recommendations to minimize the risk of potential shortages of these products until health care facilities can obtain non-GDH-PQQ strips and meters.

FDA Public Health Notification: Potentially Fatal Errors with GDH-PQQ Glucose Monitoring Technology
FDA Advice for Patients: Serious Errors with Certain Blood Glucose Meters and Strips

Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2008 - Statistical Tables
"This web page describes background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 2008. The statistical tables below provide the number of firearm transaction applications checked by state points of contact and local agencies, the number of applications denied and the reasons for denial, and estimates of applications and denals conducted by each type of approval system. Data are also provided on appeals of denied applications and arrests for falsified applications."

Housing Unit Statitics
A report of the U.S. Census Bureau provides housing units for states for the years April 1, 2000 through July 1, 2008. In addition, included are the top 100 fastest growing counties with 5000 or more housing units for April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008.

Status of the Highway Trust Fund
The U.S. Department of Transportation's report of the status of the highway trust fund.

Federal Trade Commission Smokeless Tobacco Report, 2006
"This report is the latest in a series on smokeless tobacco sales, advertising, and promotion that the Federal Trade Commission ("the Commission") has prepared since 1987. The statistical tables contained within this report provide infonnation on domestic smokeless tobacco sales and advertising and promotional activities. l Commission staff prepared these tables using infomation collected, pursuant to compulsory process, from the parent companies of the five major manufacturers of smokeless tobacco products in the United States. The 2006 data were obtained from: North Atlantic Trading Company, Inc. (the parent of National Tobacco Company); Reynolds American, Inc. (parent ofRJ. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Conwood LLC, which is the general partner of Con wood Sales Co., LP.); Swedish Match North America, Inc.; Swisher International Group, Inc. (the parent of Swisher International, Inc.); and UST, Inc. (the parent of United States Smokeless Tobacco Company)."

Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report for 2006
"This report is the latest in a series on cigarette sales, advertising, and promotion that the Federal Trade Commission ("the Commission") has prepared since 1967.
The statistical tables appended to this report provide information on domestic sales and advertising and promotional activity for U.S.-manufactured cigarettes for the years 1963 through 2006. The tables were compiled from raw data contained in special reports submitted to the Commission pursuant to compulsory process by the five major cigarette manufacturers in the United States. The 2006 data were obtained from: Altria Group, Inc. (the ultimate parent of Philip Morris); Houchens Industries, Inc. (the ultimate parent of Commonwealth Brands, Inc. during the relevant period); Loews Corp. (the ultimate parent of Lorillard Tobacco Co. during the relevant period); Reynolds American, Inc. (the ultimate parent ofRJ. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., and Lane, Limited); and Vector Group Ltd. (the ultimate parent of Liggett Group, Inc. and Vector Tobacco, Inc.)."

State Legislation on Comprehensive Health Care Coverage
"The United States government, unlike Canada and many Western European countries, does not have legislation mandating universal health care coverage to its citizens. While the elderly, persons with disabilities, veterans, military service families and the poor are often eligible for government health care assistance, health insurance is often obtained through the work place. In a few instances, states have attempted to pass their own laws to provide health care to cover all residents or all uninsured residents. Four states--Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont--provide examples of differing legislative approaches to providing such broad based care.

These states have taken diverse approaches toward achieving their goals. Hawaii requires most employers to offer insurance, while Massachusetts mandates most individuals to obtain some health coverage. Maine and Vermont have partnered with private companies to provide coverage with subsidized rates for those with incomes 300% and below of the federal poverty level. What follows is a brief description of those laws, the coverage they offer, employer and individual contributions, and exemptions from the laws. Citations are to given state sources of law and legislative or executive information about these programs. As the current debate on health care reform continues, these states programs provide experimental models of government comprehensive health care legislation."

2008 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
"...The 2008 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics consists of a compendium of tables organized by subject matter, including:

Legal Permanent Residents (Tables 1 to 12)
Legal permanent residents (LPRs) are persons who have been granted lawful permanent residence in the United States. They are also known as “green card” recipients.

Refugees and Asylees (Tables 13 to 19)
Refugees and asylees are persons who sought residence in the United States in order to avoid persecution in their country of origin. Persons granted refugee status applied for admission while outside the United States. Persons granted asylum applied either at a port of entry or at some point after their entry into the United States.

Naturalizations (Tables 20 to 24)
Naturalizations refer to persons aged 18 and over who become citizens of the United States. Most legal permanent residents are eligible to apply for naturalization within five years after obtaining LPR status.

Nonimmigrant Admissions (Tables 25 to 32)
Nonimmigrant admissions refer to arrivals of persons who are authorized to stay in the United States for a limited period of time. Most nonimmigrants enter the United States as tourists or business travelers, but some come to work, study, or engage in cultural exchange programs.

Enforcement Actions (Tables 33 to 37)
Enforcement actions include the apprehension, removal and return of foreign nationals who are in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These actions occur at the borders of the United States, in the interior of the country, and at designated sites outside the United States.

FDA Issues Final Rules to Help Patients Gain Access to Investigational Drugs
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published two rules today that seek to clarify the methods available to seriously ill patients interested in gaining access to investigational drugs and biologics when they are not eligible to participate in a clinical trial and don’t have other satisfactory treatment options.

To support the effort to help these patients, the agency also is launching a new Web site where patients and their health care professionals can learn about options for investigational drugs. In general, these options include being treated with a drug that has been approved by FDA, being given an investigational drug as part of a clinical trial, or obtaining access to an investigational drug outside of a clinical trial.

The new rule, “Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use,” makes investigational drugs more widely available to patients by clarifying procedures and standards. The other rule, “Charging for Investigational Drugs Under an Investigational New Drug Application,” clarifies the specific circumstances and the types of costs for which a manufacturer can charge patients for an investigational drug when used as part of a clinical trial or when used outside the scope of a clinical trial..."

National Wildlife Refuge System
"The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to more than 150 million acres, 550 national wildlife refuges and other units of the Refuge System, plus 37 wetland management districts."

Animal Welfare Act Guidelines for County and State Fairs
"The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires people who exhibit animals to the public for compensation to
be licensed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The AWA also excludes certain activities from this requirement, including the exhibition of agricultural animals for the purposes of promoting agricultural arts, sciences, and production. This means that agricultural exhibits at State and county fairs are exempt. However, some exhibition activities found at State and county fairs do require the exhibitors to be licensed under the AWA..."

12 Year Nationwide Drop in Tobacco Sales to Minors Continues Under State/Federal Partnership Progra
"The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced that sales of tobacco to underage youth (those younger than age 18) have continued to decline, and have in fact reached historic lows under the Synar Amendment program – a federal and state partnership program aimed at ending illegal tobacco sales to minors.

The Synar Amendment (introduced by the late Representative Mike Synar of Oklahoma) requires states to have laws and enforcement programs for prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco to persons under age 18.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have for the third year in a row achieved a major Synar program goal – a less than 20 percent non-compliance rate among tobacco product retailers. This stands in sharp contrast with the situation 12 years ago at the Synar program’s inception when the highest reported non-compliance rate was 75 percent..."

Flu.gov
A new federal government web site for keeping update-to-date on federal activities regarding H1N1, avian, and pandemic influenza.

New Short-Term CO2 Emissions Forecasts
"Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions account for about 98 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions (EIA, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Report). The vast majority of CO2 emissions come from fossil fuel combustion (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with small amounts from the nonfuel use of energy inputs, and emissions from electricity generation using nonbiogenic municipal solid waste and geothermal energy. Other sources include emissions from industrial processes, such as cement and limestone production.

The Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) now provides a history and forecast of CO2 emissions from the consumption of the three fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and petroleum. The historical monthly CO2 emissions in the STEO database are from the EIA Monthly Energy Review, which will begin publishing monthly emissions in August 2009 edition, and the Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Report. The history and forecasts of CO2 emissions are available in the STEO as monthly, quarterly, and annual data series from Table 9a. U.S. Energy Indicators. Long-term forecasts of CO2 emissions are available in the EIA Annual Energy Outlook..."

AFGHANISTAN’S NARCO WAR: BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND INSURGENTS
"DEAR COLLEAGUE: The administration is several months into its ambitious new strategy in Afghanistan, and we are seeing the first effects of the increases in military and civilian resources. One of the emerging changes is on counter-narcotics policy. In the past, our emphasis was on eradication. Today, we are focused for the first time on breaking the link between the narcotics trade and the Taliban and other militant groups. To accomplish that important goal, the administration and our military commanders have made targeting major drug traffickers who help finance the Taliban a priority for U.S. troops. In addition, a new intelligence center to analyze the flow of drug money to the Taliban and corrupt Afghan officials is beginning operations and plans are under way to create an interagency task force to pursue drug networks. The attached report represents the findings of research conducted by the committee
staff in Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The report describes the implementation of the new counter-narcotics strategy and offers recommendations. We also hope that the report will provide new impetus for a national debate on the risks and rewards associated with our increasing commitment
to the war in Afghanistan. Sincerely,JOHN F. KERRY,Chairman

OPEC Oil Export Revenues
"Based on projections from the EIA August 2009 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could earn $555 billion of net oil export revenues in 2009 and $667 billion in 2010. Last year, OPEC earned $968 billion in net oil export revenues, a 42 percent increase from 2007. Saudi Arabia earned the largest share of these earnings, $285 billion, representing 29 percent of total OPEC revenues. On a per-capita basis, OPEC net oil export earning reached $2,680 in 2008, a 40 percent increase from 2007."

Latin America: Terrorism Issues
"Since the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, U.S. attention to
terrorism in Latin America has intensified, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation.

In its April 2009 Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department maintained that terrorism in
the region was primarily perpetrated by terrorist organizations in Colombia and by the remnants
of radical leftist Andean groups. Overall, however, the report maintained that the threat of a
transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere.
Cuba has remained on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1982
pursuant to Section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, which triggers a number of economic
sanctions. Both Cuba and Venezuela are on the State Department’s annual list of countries
determined to be not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts pursuant to Section 40A of
the Arms Export Control Act..."

Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance
"The U.S. program of assistance to Afghanistan is intended to stabilize and strengthen the Afghan
economic, social, political, and security environment so as to blunt popular support for extremist
forces in the region. Since 2001, nearly $38 billion has been appropriated toward this effort.

More than half of U.S. assistance—roughly 54%—has gone to security programs, mostly the
training and equipping of Afghan forces. Another 32% has gone to development and
humanitarian-related activities from infrastructure to private sector support. About 5% has been
targeted at governance and democratization efforts. More than 9% has been directed to counternarcotics
programs.

Key U.S. agencies providing aid are the Department of Defense (56% of aid), the Agency for
International Development (28%), the Department of State (14%), and the Department of
Agriculture (1%)..."

School Meal Program Participation and Its Association with Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity
"This study used data from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment III Study to examine the dietary patterns of school meal program participants and nonparticipants and the relationship between school meal participation and children’s Body Mass Index (BMI). School Breakfast Program (SBP) participants ate more low-nutrient energy-dense (LNED) baked goods and more calories at breakfast than did nonparticipants. National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participants had lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and a lower percentage of calories from LNED foods and beverages than did nonparticipants. Overall, NSLP participation was not significantly related to students’ BMI, although participants were less likely to be overweight or obese than nonparticipants among Black students but more likely to be so among “other race” students. SBP participants had significantly lower BMI than did nonparticipants, possibly because SBP participants are more likely to eat breakfast and eat more at breakfast, spreading calorie intake more evenly over the course of the day."

CPSC Launches Resale Round-up Campaign to Keep Dangerous Recalled Products Out of Resale Stores and Off the Internet
"The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced its Top Ten list of recalled children’s products as part of the agency’s “Resale Round-up” campaign. CPSC’s goal is to protect consumers by getting dangerous recalled products out of resale stores and off the Internet. Re-selling recalled products is a violation of federal law.

Before re-selling products, CPSC encourages re-sellers to check its Web site, www.cpsc.gov, to determine if the product has been recalled.

“Those who re-sell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Resale stores should make safety their business and check for recalled products and hazards to children.”

A CPSC study conducted in 1999 found that nearly 70 percent of resale stores sold at least one recalled or otherwise hazardous product.

CPSC is partnering with the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops (NARTS), the Salvation Army, state agencies, and others to alert re-sellers about recalled products, product hazards including cribs that do not meet current safety standards, drawstrings in children’s clothing, and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)..."

FEC RELEASES FEDERAL ELECTIONS 2008 REPORT
"The Federal Election Commission (FEC) today released Federal Elections 2008 (http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.shtml), a biennial publication that compiles federal election results in the 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia for the offices of President, Senate, and House of Representatives, as well as Delegates. The comprehensive report is a research tool designed to provide an accurate, historical record of federal election results in a single volume..."

Updated Federal Guidelines for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Schools Offer Many Options
"Updated federal guidelines offer state and local public health and school officials a range of options for responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza in schools, depending on how severe the flu may be in their communities. The guidance says officials should balance the risk of flu in their communities with the disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and the wider community.

The guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was announced today at a joint news conference by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

The school guidance is a part of a broader national framework to respond to novel H1N1 influenza, which includes encouraging people to be vaccinated against the virus and to take other actions to avoid infection. The CDC anticipates more illness after the school year starts, because flu typically is transmitted more easily in the fall and winter..."

New State-by-State Reports Show How Health Insurance Reform Will Benefit All Americans
"HS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released Stable and Secure Health Care for America, a series of new state-by-state reports outlining how health insurance reform will improve health care for all Americans. Sebelius announced the availability of the new reports as part of a Webcast -- “Health Insurance Reform: What’s In It For You?” -- where Sebelius and top HHS officials took questions from the American people and discussed the importance of health insurance reform. The new reports are available at www.HealthReform.gov.

“These reports show how health insurance reform will help Americans save money, get better care, strengthen their insurance if they already have it, and afford insurance if they don’t,” said Sebelius. “Every American will benefit when we pass health insurance reform.”

The reports released today show reform will:

Lower health care costs;
Increase health care choices by protecting what works and fixing what’s broken; and
Assure quality, affordable care for all Americans.
Today’s reports are the second in a series of state-by-state reports on health care across the country. Earlier this summer, Sebelius released The Health Care Status Quo in Your State, a series of state by state reports on the current state of health care in America..."

Personal Income for Metropolitan Areas, 2008
"Personal income growth slowed in 2008 in most of the nation's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income growth slowed in 322 MSAs, increased in 42, and remained unchanged in 2 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income grew 3.3 percent in 2008, down from 6.0 percent in 2007."

CE announces major reforms to immigration detention system
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton announced today that ICE is undertaking a major overhaul of the agency's immigration detention system.

"This change marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws smartly and effectively," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "We are improving detention center management to prioritize health, safety and uniformity among our facilities while ensuring security, efficiency and fiscal responsibility."

"In the past five years, ICE has experienced considerable growth in immigration detention. This growth has presented significant challenges to a system that was not fundamentally designed to address ICE's specific detention needs," said Morton. "Implementing these reforms will improve medical care, custodial conditions, fiscal prudence and ICE's critical oversight of the immigration detention system. ICE remains committed to enforcing our nation's immigration and customs laws. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the security, safety and well-being of individuals in our custody."

As the first of many concrete steps ICE is taking to implement comprehensive detention reform, the agency is creating an Office of Detention Policy and Planning (ODPP). The role of this office is to design and plan a civil detention system tailored to addresses ICE's needs. Dr. Schriro, who will report directly to the assistant secretary, will lead the ODPP with support from detention and health care experts..."

CBO’s Long-Term Projections for Social Security: 2009 Update
"Today, Social Security’s annual revenues exceed its annual outlays. But as the baby-boom generation (people born between 1946 and 1964) continues to age, growth in the number of Social Security beneficiaries will pick up, and outlays will increase much faster than revenues. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the Social Security trust funds will be exhausted in 2043.1 (Unless otherwise stated, the years referred to in this report are calendar years.) Thus, if the law remains unchanged, CBO projects that 34 years from now, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will not have the legal authority to pay full benefits. Such long-term projections are necessarily uncertain; nevertheless, the general conclusions presented here hold true under a wide range of assumptions.

CBO regularly prepares long-term projections of revenues and outlays for the Social Security program.2 This latest report presents projections for the 75-year period
from 2009 through 2083; those estimates are consistent with CBO’s March 2009 10-year baseline.3 The projections differ from earlier results because of newly available
programmatic and economic data, updated assumptions about future demographic and economic trends, and improvements in CBO’s models..."

Updated CDC Travel Health Book Released
"The 2010 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Yellow Book includes new or expanded sections on medical tourism, traveling safely with chronic diseases and conditions, and expert perspectives on popular travel itineraries worldwide. The updated book, which is a definitive guide for healthy international travel, is now available online.

Nicknamed for its yellow cover, the health guide updated every two years is officially titled CDC Health Information for International Travel. The resource provides travel health recommendations and other features that help international travelers prepare for trips and stay healthy while abroad..."

FDA Issues Final Regulation on Dental Amalgam
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final regulation classifying dental amalgam and its component parts – elemental mercury and a powder alloy—used in dental fillings. While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients.

The regulation classifies dental amalgam into Class II (moderate risk). By classifying a device into Class II, the FDA can impose special controls (in addition to general controls such as good manufacturing practices that apply to all medical devices regardless of risk) to provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device.

The special controls that the FDA is imposing on dental amalgam are contained in a guidance document that contains, among other things, recommendations on performance testing, device composition, and labeling statements.

Specifically, the FDA recommended that the product labeling include:

* A warning against the use of dental amalgam in patients with mercury allergy;
* A warning that dental professionals use adequate ventilation when handling dental amalgam;
* A statement discussing the scientific evidence on the benefits and risk of dental amalgam, including the risks of inhaled mercury vapor. The statement will help dentists and patients make informed decisions about the use of dental amalgan..."

5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage
Tips for shopping for a mortage from the Federal Reserve Board.

Expenditures on Children by Families, 2008
"Since 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided estimates of expenditures on children from birth through age 17. This technical report presents the most recent estimates for husband-wife and single-parent families using data from the 2005-06 Consumer Expenditure Survey, updated to 2008 dollars using the Consumer Price Index. Data and methods used in calculating annual child-rearing expenses are described. Estimates are provided for major components of the budget by age of child, family income, and region of residence. For the overall United States, annual child-rearing expense estimates ranged between $11,610 and $13,480 for a child in a two-child, married-couple family in the middle-income group. Adjustment factors for number of children in the household are also provided. Results of
this study should be of use in developing State child support and foster care guidelines, as well as in family educational programs."
Access current and former full reports

FDA Gives Update on Botulinum Toxin Safety Warnings; Established Names of Drugs Changed
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced an update to a previous safety alert on four botulinum toxin drug products, noting that all of them now have boxed warnings on their labels and have developed Medication Guides for patients, as directed by the agency in April 2009.

The boxed warning cautions that the effects of the botulinum toxin may spread from the area of injection to other areas of the body, causing symptoms similar to those of botulism. Those symptoms include potentially life-threatening swallowing and breathing difficulties and even death.

These symptoms have mostly been reported in children with cerebral palsy being treated with botulinum toxin for muscle spasticity, a use of the drugs that has not been approved by FDA. Symptoms have also been reported in adults treated both for approved and unapproved uses.

The affected products are:
- Botox (new established name: onabotulinumtoxinA)
- Botox Cosmetic (new established name: onabotulinumtoxinA)
- Myobloc (new established name: rimabotulinumtoxinB)
- Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) was approved in April 2009 with the boxed warning and is not making any name or label changes at this time..."

A portrait of the youth labor market in 13 countries, 1980–2007
"In most industrialized countries, relatively high rates of joblessness among young persons have persisted for many years, although with considerable variation across the countries. In recent decades, the unemployment rate for persons under the age of 25 in France regularly has been greater than 20 percent, while in Italy it rose to more than 30 percent, and in Spain it has surpassed 40 percent. Germany and Japan had very low youth unemployment rates at the beginning of the 1980s—around 4 percent. However, more recently, even Germany, with its apprenticeship system, and Japan, with its close cooperation between schools and businesses, have had youth unemployment rates similar to those in the United States, in or near the 10-percent range..."

Energy Market and Economic Impacts of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
"This report responds to a request from Chairman Henry Waxman and Chairman Edward Markey for an analysis of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACESA). ACESA, as passed by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009, is a complex bill that regulates emissions of greenhouse gases through market-based mechanisms, efficiency programs, and economic incentives."

Consumer Action Handbook, 2009
" When the economy is uncertain, it’s even more important to watch every dime. To help you get the most bang for your buck, avoid credit problems, and resolve shopping hassles, order the 2009 edition of the free Consumer Action Handbook from the Federal Citizen Information Center.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year’s Consumer Action Handbook continues to provide top-notch tips and advice for common consumer issues like buying a car, building good credit and protecting your privacy. Now you’ll also find expanded resources for military personnel, the latest facts on buying a home and even more contact information for major companies..."

Download full handbook

The Use of Offsets to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
"Discussions about reducing greenhouse gases often focus on limiting the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity or power cars and trucks, yet a variety of other actions— including disposing of waste in different ways, changing methods of farming, and lessening deforestation—could also reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Both existing climate policies, such as the European Union’s Emission Trading System, and policies under consideration, such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA) of 2009, which was recently passed by the House of Representatives, have recognized the potential for such actions to “offset” the extent to which the use of fossil fuels must be reduced to meet a chosen target for total GHG emissions. If such offsets—which can be defined as reductions in GHGs from activities not subject to limits on emissions— are less expensive than reductions from limiting the use of fossil fuels, they can reduce the overall economic cost of meeting a target for emissions. Yet the difficulty
of verifying offset activities raises concerns about whether the specified target will actually be met; those concerns may be especially acute when, as under ACESA, allowable offsets include actions taken outside of the country setting the target for emissions..."

eRulemaking Enhances Regulations.gov for Access to Federal Regulations
"The eRulemaking Program has launched a significant upgrade to the Web site that provides one-stop, public access to information related to current and forthcoming regulations issued by the federal government. Enhancements to regulations.gov include improved search capabilities, new navigation tools, and easier access to areas for the public to provide comments on proposed regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency is the managing partner of the inter-agency eRulemaking Program, which operates regulations.gov.

Visitors to regulations.gov can now streamline search results with date ranges, select specific U.S. government departments or agencies, and view results by docket or file folder. Other changes include interactive icons and links to common user tasks that pre-populate search fields to help users find regulations and comments. The Web site also provides quick access, simplified navigation and additional information sharing, such as social bookmarking and RSS feeds by specific government departments or agencies..."

womenshealth.gov
"Welcome to the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC), a service of the Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The Office on Women's Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its Vision is to ensure that "All Women and Girls are Healthier and Have a Better Sense of Well Being." Its mission is to "provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex/gender-specific approaches." The strategy OWH uses to achieve its mission and vision is through the development of innovative programs, by educating health professionals, and motivating behavior change in consumers through the dissemination of health information.

Don't forget to let us know how NWHIC can work better for you! After all, this national resource was designed to help ensure a healthier future for all American women."

Science.gov
"Science.gov searches over 38 databases and 1,950 selected websites, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information, including research and development results."

Data.gov
"The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Although the initial launch of Data.gov provides a limited portion of the rich variety of Federal datasets presently available, we invite you to actively participate in shaping the future of Data.gov by suggesting additional datasets and site enhancements to provide seamless access and use of your Federal data. Visit today with us, but come back often. With your help, Data.gov will continue to grow and change in the weeks, months, and years ahead."

FTC: Who is Responsible for a Deceased Relative's Debts?
"If your relative leaves unpaid debts when he or she dies, do you have to pay?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, surviving relatives usually have no legal obligation to pay the debts of a family member who has died. Generally, that person’s estate is responsible for paying his or her debts. But if there isn’t enough in the estate to cover the debts, they typically go unpaid.

After a relative dies, debt collectors may contact family members and ask them to pay their loved ones’ debts. The rights of surviving relatives are covered by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which the FTC enforces. The FTC has developed a new consumer alert about this issue titled Paying the Debts of a Deceased Relative: Who Is Responsible?

Creating Global Intelligence
"Discover the back story of the US intelligence community by exploring "Creating Global Intelligence: The Creation of the US Intelligence Community and Lessons for the 21st Century", a collection of declassified documents from the late 1940s to the early 1950s that ultimately led to the establishment of the CIA. This 800+ collection allows history to come to life as well as giving perspectives on the complex issues that senior US Government officials grappled with when considering how to establish an enduring national intelligence capability..."