Hispanic Population in the United States: 2008
Find latest estimate of the Hispanic population in the United States by age, sex, educational attainment, marital status, etc.

FEMA Disaster Housing: From Sheltering to Permanent Housing
"For over three decades the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has
provided temporary housing assistance to eligible victims of natural disasters.
FEMA has responded to more than a thousand disaster and emergency events over this period, employing a number of options for meeting the needs of people who have lost their primary housing as a result of a disaster declared by the President. The cycle of help from sheltering provided by local organizations in the immediate aftermath, to the eventual repair and rebuilding or replacement of private homes and rental units, is the focus of this report.

Because of the historic nature of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, much of FEMA’s work has been defined and measured by its response to that event. Katrina was an outlier in scope and not representative of disasters declared, on almost a weekly basis, over the last 30 years. But Katrina highlighted the gaps in FEMA’s housing authorities, raised questions regarding the agency’s leadership in exercising existing authorities, and provoked an examination of the flexibility, or
lack thereof, in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and its implementing regulations..."

EPA Announces Guidance to Communities on PCBs in Caulk of Buildings Constructed or Renovated Between 1950 and 1978..
" The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a series of steps that building owners and school administrators should take to reduce exposure to PCBs that may be found in caulk in many buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978. The agency is also conducting new research to better understand the risks posed by caulk containing PCBs. This research will guide EPA in making further recommendations on long-term measures to minimize exposure as well as steps to prioritize and carry out actions to remove the caulk to better protect public health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are man-made chemicals that persist in the environment and were widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to 1978. PCBs can affect the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system and endocrine system and are potentially cancer-causing if they build up in the body over long periods of time...

The agency has created a website, http://www.epa.gov/pcbsincaulk, with updated information on this issue. Concerned parties can also call an EPA hotline toll free at 1-888-835-5372..."

EPA Adds 11 Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund’s National Priorities List / EPA also proposes to add 10 additional sites
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding 11 new hazardous waste sites
that pose risks to human health and the environment to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. Also, EPA is proposing to add 10 other sites to the list. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.

To date, there have been 1,607 sites listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 336 sites have been deleted resulting in 1,271 final sites currently on the NPL, including
the 11 new final sites added in this rulemaking. With the proposal of the 10 new sites, there are 66 proposed sites awaiting final agency action: 61 in the general Superfund section and five in the federal facilities section. There are a total of 1,337 final and proposed sites.

Contaminants found at the final and proposed sites include antimony, arsenic, barium, benzo-a-anthracene, boron, cadmium, chloromethane, chromium, copper, dichloroethene (DCE), hexachlorobenze, lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), selenium, silver, tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethene (TCE), vinyl chloride, and zinc.

With all Superfund sites, EPA tries to identify and locate the parties potentially responsible for the contamination. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several
years before significant cleanup funding is required for these sites."

Food Insecurity in Households with Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics
"Eighty-four percent of U.S. households with children were food secure throughout 2007, meaning that they had consistent access to adequate food for active, healthy lives for all household members. Nearly 16 percent of households with children were food insecure sometime during the year, including 8.3 percent in which children were food insecure and 0.8 percent in which one or more children experienced very low
food security—the most severe food-insecure condition measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Numerous studies suggest that children in food-insecure households have higher risks of health and development problems than children in otherwise similar food-secure households. This study found that about 85 percent of households with food-insecure children had a working adult, including 70 percent with a full-time worker. Fewer than half of households with food-insecure children included an adult educated past high school. Thus, job opportunities and wage rates for less educated workers are important factors affecting the food security of children. In 2007, Federal food and nutrition assistance programs provided benefits to four
out of five low-income, food-insecure households with children."

Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends
"As the members of the “baby boom” generation—people born between 1946 and
1964— approach retirement, the demographic profile of the U.S. workforce will
undergo a substantial shift as a large number of older workers will be joined by relatively few new entrants to the labor force. According to the Census Bureau,
there will be 204 million Americans aged 25 or older in 2010. By 2030, this number will increase by 23% to more than 251 million. Most of this growth will occur among people aged 65 and older. The Census Bureau estimates that while the number of
people between the ages of 25 and 64 will increase by 15.5 million (9.4%) between 2010 and 2030, the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to grow by 31.7 million, or 79.2%.

Labor force participation begins to fall after age 55. In 2008, 91% of men and 76%
of women aged 25 to 54 participated in the labor force. In contrast, just 70% of
men and 59% of women aged 55 to 64 were either working or looking for work in 2008.
Labor force participation among persons aged 55 and older is influenced by general economic conditions, eligibility for Social Security benefits, the availability of health insurance, and the prevalence and design of employer sponsored pensions. For example, labor force participation among people 55 and older may increase due to the trend away from defined-benefit pension plans that offer a monthly annuity for life to defined contribution plans that typically pay a lump-sum benefit. The declining percentage of employers that offer retiree health insurance also may result in more people continuing to work until they are eligible for Medicare at 65..."

Salazar Welcomes Second Century Commission Report on Future of National Park System
"Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today commended the members of the National Parks Second Century Commission for their report on the future of the National Park System, which includes a wide range of recommendations for enhancing all aspects of our national parks.

“I applaud the commission for leaving no stone unturned in seeking ways to enhance our National Park System so that we might better honor our nation’s beauty, history and culture, conserve our treasured landscapes and their wildlife, and both inform and inspire the American people,” Salazar said. “The report provides a foundation upon which to build an even brighter future for our already outstanding national parks.”

The National Parks Conservation Association convened the commission, chaired by former U.S. Senators Howard Baker and J. Bennett Johnston, to produce a comprehensive report on the park system as it nears its 100th anniversary in 2016 and begins a second century.

The commission consists of nearly 30 national leaders, experts and thinkers drawn from a broad range of backgrounds, including scientists, historians, conservationists, academics, business leaders, policy experts, and retired National Park Service officials.

In its report, entitled “Advancing the National Park Idea,” the panel said that the National Park System is at a crossroads, facing challenges such as urgent environmental problems, a burgeoning population and critical needs in education. It called for a new vision recognizing the interrelationships between human beings and the natural world and the need for a sustainable relationship between people and the planet..."
Full Advancing the National Park Idea available here

COMMENT SOUGHT ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL, STATE, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO BROADBAND
"Comment Date: November 6, 2009
Government – at all levels – affects broadband deployment and adoption, and itself uses broadband to interact with its citizens. As the Commission develops a National Broadband Plan,1 the Commission staff have heard about the many benefits of broadband deployment and effective use of digital technology.2 For instance, Fort Wayne, Indiana has used wireless monitoring to improve the efficiency of its street sweepers,3 and, like many states and cities,4 has also used broadband solutions for better health resources, greater community connectedness, better educational opportunities, more efficient public safety measures, and greater energy efficiency. We have also heard, however, of difficulties in obtaining required government licenses or permits or access to government assets, as well as restrictions in the use of government funding that hinder the pursuit of broader broadband goals...

We seek tailored comment about how governments at all levels promote broadband deployment and adoption, and how digital technologies and broadband deployment can improve civic engagement, government at all levels, and the lives and welfare of residents and businesses..."

Military Recruitment on High School and College Campuses: A Policy and Legal Analysis
"In recent years, many academic institutions have enacted rules that protect individuals who are gay from discrimination on campus. As a result, some high
schools and institutions of higher education have sought to bar military recruiters from their campuses and/or to eliminate Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs on campus in response to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, which prohibits homosexual conduct by members of the armed services. These efforts, however, have largely been thwarted due to several laws that bar giving federal funds to campuses that block access for military recruiters.

These laws include the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which amended the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by requiring high schools that receive federal funds to provide certain student contact information to military recruiters upon request and to allow recruiters to have the same access to students as employers and colleges. This provision is different from similar Department of Defense (DOD) provisions that allow DOD to compile directory information on high school students for military recruitment purposes and that require colleges and universities that receive federal funds to give military recruiters the same access to students and campuses that is provided to other employers. Known as the Solomon Amendment,
the latter provision was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court in the 2006 case Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR).

This report describes the various laws regarding military recruitment on high school and college campuses, as well as discusses the policy and legal issues that they may raise. Meanwhile, several bills that would amend these military recruitment provisions have been introduced in the 111th Congress, including H.R. 1026, H.R. 1091, and S. 87."

Iraqi Civilian, Police, and Security Forces Casualty Statistics
"This report presents various governmental and nongovernmental estimates of Iraqi civilian,
police, and security forces fatalities. The Iraq government is releasing increasingly regular data on these deaths. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) releases the monthly pattern of Iraqi
civilian, police, and security forces deaths, and it regularly updates total U.S. military deaths and wounded statistics from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), as reflected in CRS Report RS21578,
Iraq: U.S. Casualties, by Susan G. Chesser. Because the estimates contained in this report are
based on varying time periods and have been created using differing methodologies, readers
should exercise caution when using them and should look to them as guideposts rather than as
statements of fact."

Student Loan Default Rates Increase
"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that the FY 2007 national student loan cohort default rate increased to 6.7 percent, up from the FY 2006 rate of 5.2 percent.

The rate announced today is a snapshot in time, representing the cohort of borrowers whose first loan repayments came due between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007, and who defaulted before September 30, 2008. Some 3.3 million borrowers entered repayment during this time, and more than 225,300 borrowers went into default. They attended 5,776 participating institutions.

“The economic downturn likely had a significant impact on the borrowers captured in these rates,” Duncan said. “The Department is reaching out to make sure current and prospective student borrowers are aware of the many flexible repayment options designed to assist them with their financial obligations, such as the new Income-Based Repayment Plan.”

As a historical comparison, in FY 1990, nearly one in four borrowers defaulted on their federal loans when default rates set an all-time high of 22.4 percent. The rate dropped to record low of 4.5 percent in FY 2003..."

CBO Social Security Analysis
"During the past eight years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has developed
a sophisticated long-term microsimulation model known as CBOLT. The
agency uses the model to analyze the budgetary and distributional effects of the Social
Security program and other federal policies and programs, to evaluate potential
reforms to federal entitlement programs, and to quantify the nation’s long-term fiscal
challenges. This background paper provides a short, nontechnical overview of how the
CBOLT model works."

Attorney General Establishes New State Secrets Policies and Procedures
"Attorney General Eric Holder today issued a memorandum instituting new Department of Justice policies and procedures in order to ensure greater accountability in the government’s assertion of the state secrets privilege in litigation.

"This policy is an important step toward rebuilding the public’s trust in the government’s use of this privilege while recognizing the imperative need to protect national security," Holder said. "It sets out clear procedures that will provide greater accountability and ensure the state secrets privilege is invoked only when necessary and in the narrowest way possible."

Earlier this year, Attorney General Holder ordered senior Justice officials to conduct a review of the Department’s existing state secrets policies and procedures, including an internal evaluation of the pending cases in which the privilege had been invoked. The results of that internal review were shared with an interagency group comprised of officials from the Department and the intelligence community, which provided input into the formulation of the new policies and procedures. The new policy and procedures take effect October 1, 2009."

The Attorney General’s memorandum outlines several aspects of the new administrative process that increases accountability and oversight, including:

Facilitation of Court Review – The policy ensures that before approving invocation of the state secrets privilege in court, the Department must be satisfied that there is strong evidentiary support for it. In order to facilitate meaningful judicial scrutiny of the privilege assertions, the Department will submit evidence to the court for review.

Significant Harm Standard – The policy adopts a more rigorous standard to govern when the Department will defend assertions of the state secrets privilege in new cases. Under the new policy, the Department will now defend the assertion of the privilege only to the extent necessary to protect against the risk of significant harm to national security.

Narrow Tailoring of Privilege Assertions – Under this policy, the Department will narrowly tailor the use of the states secrets privilege whenever possible to allow cases to move forward in the event that the sensitive information at issue is not critical to the case. As part of this policy, the Department also commits not to invoke the privilege for the purpose of concealing government wrongdoing or avoiding embarrassment to government agencies or officials.

State Secrets Review Committee – A State Secrets Review Committee will be formed consisting of senior Department officials designated by the Attorney General who will evaluate any recommendation by the Assistant Attorney General of the relevant Division to invoke the privilege. The Committee would make its recommendation to the Associate Attorney General, who would review and refer to the Deputy Attorney General for a final recommendation to the Attorney General or his designee.

Approval by the Attorney General – The policy requires the approval of the Attorney General prior to the invocation of the states secret privilege, except when the Attorney General is recused or unavailable. Previously, the invocation of the state secrets privilege could be approved by the appropriate Assistant Attorney General

Referral to Inspectors General. The policy implements a referral process to relevant Offices of Inspector General whenever there are credible allegations of government wrongdoing in a case, but the assertion of state secrets privilege might preclude the case from moving forward.

FLUview
A weekly influenza survelliance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Fighting Back Against Cancer: Health Insurance Reform & Cancer in America
"Rising health care costs leave a growing number of Americans either uninsured or with insurance that does not provide the coverage they need and deserve – especially the 11 million Americans with cancer. 1 The results of a recent survey estimated that 72 million, or 41 percent, of non-elderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year – and 61 percent of those with difficulty had insurance. 2 Any medical event, like the diagnosis of cancer, could place a person at risk of taking on a potentially devastating financial burden, even if they have health insuranc.."

Census Bureau Releases 2008 American Community Survey Data
"The U.S. Census Bureau today released the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data, providing a statistical portrait of the characteristics of the nation’s population in 2008.

According to the new snapshot, one-in-four people in Texas (24.1 percent) lacked health insurance in 2008, the highest rate in the nation. At the other end of the spectrum, fewer than one-in-20 Massachusetts residents (4.1 percent) lacked coverage.

Health insurance coverage was one of three new topics added to the ACS for 2008. Every question on the ACS is included either because the data are required to satisfy one or more federal laws, regulations or court decisions, or are needed to manage federal programs and allocate more than $400 billion of federal tax dollars annually to states and local communities.

The ongoing survey of approximately 3 million addresses every year provides one of the most complete pictures of our population available. It covers more than 40 topics such as income, educational attainment, housing, family structure and more. All survey responses are strictly confidential and protected by law.

Today’s release compiles social, housing, demographic and select economic data collected throughout 2008 and includes areas with populations of 65,000 or more. Additional 2008 ACS economic data related to family income, poverty and receipt of food stamps will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 29..."

Criminals, Militias, and Insurgents: Organized Crime in Iraq
"Dr. Williams looks in detail at major criminal activities, including the theft, diversion, and smuggling of oil, the kidnapping of both Iraqis and foreigners, extortion, car theft, and the theft and smuggling of antiquities. He also considers the critical role played by corruption in facilitating and strengthening organized crime and shows how al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jaish-al-Mahdi, and the Sunni tribes used criminal activities to fund their campaigns of political violence. Dr. Williams identifies the roots of organized crime in post-Ba’athist Iraq in an authoritarian and corrupt state dominated by Saddam Hussein and subject to international sanctions. He also explains the rise of organized crime after the U.S. invasion in terms of two distinct waves: the first wave followed the collapse of the state and was accompanied by the breakdown of social control mechanisms and the development of anomie; the second wave was driven by anarchy, insecurity, political ambition, and the imperatives of resource generation for militias, insurgents, and other groups. He also identifies necessary responses to organized crime and corruption in Iraq, including efforts to reduce criminal opportunities, change incentive structures, and more directly target criminal organizations and activities. His analysis also emphasizes the vulnerability of conflict and post-conflict situations to organized crime and the requirement for a holistic or comprehensive strategy in which security, development, and the rule of law complement one another..."

The New Numbers – Health Insurance Reform Cannot Wait
"Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new state by state analysis of last week’s U.S. Census numbers regarding the uninsured. The results are sobering and confirm that health insurance reform cannot wait another year.

“These numbers only serve to further confirm a reality that far too many American families live with every day,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Our health care system has reached a breaking point. The status quo is unsustainable, and continuing to delay reform is not an option.”

The facts below underscore the urgency of health insurance reform.

Nationwide, the number of uninsured has increased from 39.8 million in 2001 to 46.3 million in 2008.

With the exception of Massachusetts – which enacted its own version of health insurance reform in 2006 – every state in the nation has seen its uninsured population grow or remain unacceptably high from 2001 to 2008. These numbers don’t even include those who have lost their insurance in the recent recession or have had coverage gaps of shorter than a year.

In nearly every state, private coverage is eroding with the percentage of people covered by employer-based coverage decreasing.
The new numbers also drive home the frightening reality that losing health insurance could happen to any of us.

Across the nation, more and more working Americans are uninsured, left without protection from health care costs.

Even among high-income households, the ranks of the uninsured are rapidly growing.
“In states across the country, we’ve seen the health care coverage situation go from bad to worse,” Secretary Sebelius added. “And it’s clear that losing insurance isn’t a problem that plagues only the poor or the unemployed – it could happen to anyone.”

To learn more and view state by state data

IRS Announces New Materials Available to Promote Awareness of Recovery Act Tax
"As part of a larger effort to increase the awareness and use of tax benefits available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), the Internal Revenue Service today announced the availability of a vast array of products that help explain several tax benefits currently available to American families.

With time running out to qualify for some of the recovery benefits, the IRS has unveiled new YouTube videos, radio public service announcements (PSAs) and multi-lingual informational flyers that provide basic information for taxpayers. The items are available on IRS.gov for partner groups, the media, Web sites and other organizations whose audience could benefit from the new tax changes.

These products are in addition to earlier IRS efforts on YouTube (www.youtube.com/irsvideos) and iTunes to increase public awareness about the tax credits. The IRS.gov official Web site also contains links and complete information about ARRA at www.irs.gov/recovery. The PSAs are in English and Spanish in either 30-second or 60-second formats. The flyers and posters are in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese..."

EPA Releases Reports on Dam Integrity Assessments at 17 Coal Ash Impoundments
"As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing national effort to assess the management of coal combustion residuals, EPA is releasing the final contractor reports assessing the structural integrity of 17 impoundments and similar management units containing coal combustion residuals, commonly referred to as coal ash, at nine facilities. These 17 impoundments have a “high” or “significant” hazard potential rating. A high hazard potential rating is not related to the stability of those impoundments but to the potential for harm should the impoundment fail. A significant hazard potential rating means impoundment failure can cause economic loss, environmental damage, or damage to infrastructure.

The assessments have rated the structural integrity of seven impoundments as “satisfactory,” nine units as “fair,” and one unit as “poor.” None of the units assessed received an “unsatisfactory” rating. According to dam safety experts, only impoundments rated as unsatisfactory pose immediate safety threats.."

FDIC Launches Foreclosure Prevention Initiative
"The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced that it is releasing a free tool kit of information that will help borrowers, community stakeholders and the banking industry avoid unnecessary foreclosures and stop foreclosure "rescue" scams that promise false hope to consumers at risk of losing their homes.

The tool kit includes critical information to help borrowers know who to contact and what documents they need to have available to apply for a loan modification that could save their home from foreclosure. This tool kit also describes the warning signs of potential foreclosure "rescue" scams and how consumers, community stakeholders, and bankers can report scammers and prevent fraud. The public can access the free tool kit at http://www.FDIC.gov/foreclosureprevention. To ensure this information is widely available, the FDIC is conducting outreach to community-based organizations and the banking industry, and furnishing a referral service to help consumers identify sources of legitimate help and report fraud to the appropriate law enforcement agencies..."

EPA Tightens Air Emissions for Hospital, Medical, and Infectious Waste Incinerators
"EPA is setting new limits that will affect most existing hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators. This final action will reduce about 390,000 pounds of several pollutants each year including acid gases, nitrogen oxides, and metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. EPA is also finalizing additional testing, monitoring, and inspection requirements.

This final action revises the September 1997 new source performance standards and emission guidelines for these incinerators and responds to the Court remand of the regulations. It also satisfies the Clean Air Act requirement to conduct a review of the standards every five years."

More information on the final rule and amendments.

"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: A Legal Analysis
"In 1993, after many months of study, debate, and political controversy, Congress passed and
President Clinton signed legislation establishing a revised “[p]olicy concerning homosexuality in
the armed forces.” The new legislation reflected a compromise regarding the U.S. military’s
policy toward members of the armed forces who engage in homosexual conduct. This
compromise, colloquially referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT),” holds that “[t]he
presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in
homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order
and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability.” Service members
are not to be asked about, nor allowed to discuss, their sexual orientation. This compromise
notwithstanding, the issue has remained both politically and legally contentious. This report
provides a legal analysis of the various constitutional challenges that have been brought against
DADT; for a policy analysis, see CRS Report R40782, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:” The Law and
Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior, by David F. Burrelli.

Constitutional challenges to the former and current military policies regarding homosexual
conduct followed in the wake of the new 1993 laws and regulations. Based on the U.S. Supreme
Court ruling in Bowers v. Hardwick that there is no fundamental right to engage in consensual
homosexual sodomy, the courts have uniformly held that the military may discharge a service
member for overt homosexual conduct. However, the legal picture was complicated by the
Court’s 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas which overruled Bowers by declaring unconstitutional
a Texas law that prohibited sexual acts between same-sex couples. In addition, unsettled legal
questions remain as to whether a discharge based solely on a statement that a service member is
gay transgresses constitutional limits..."

Justice Department Submits Views on Proposed Google Book Search Settlement
"The Department of Justice today advised the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that while it should not accept the class action settlement in The Authors Guild Inc. et al. v. Google Inc. as proposed due to concerns of the United States regarding class action, copyright and antitrust law, the parties should be encouraged to continue their productive discussions to address those concerns. In its statement of interest filed with the court, the Department stated:

"Given the parties’ express commitment to ongoing discussions to address concerns already raised and the possibility that such discussions could lead to a settlement agreement that could legally be approved by the Court, the public interest would best be served by direction from the Court encouraging the continuation of those discussions between the parties and, if the Court so chooses, by some direction as to those aspects of the Proposed Settlement that need to be improved. Because a properly structured settlement agreement in this case offers the potential for important societal benefits, the United States does not want the opportunity or momentum to be lost."

In its filing, the Department proposed that the parties consider a number of changes to the agreement that may help address the United States’ concerns, including imposing limitations on the most open-ended provisions for future licensing, eliminating potential conflicts among class members, providing additional protections for unknown rights holders, addressing the concerns of foreign authors and publishers, eliminating the joint-pricing mechanisms among publishers and authors, and, whatever the settlement’s ultimate scope, providing some mechanism by which Google’s competitors can gain comparable access.

The settlement agreement between Google and the authors and publishers aims to resolve copyright infringement claims brought against Google by the Authors Guild and five major publishers in 2005 raised by Google’s efforts to digitally scan books contained in several libraries and make them searchable on the Internet. The District Court’s hearing on the proposed settlement is scheduled to take place on October 7, 2009."

SENATORS INTRODUCE PATRIOT ACT FIXES TO SAFEGUARD AMERICANS' RIGHTS
"U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced legislation to fix problems with surveillance laws that threaten the rights and liberties of American citizens. The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.

The JUSTICE Act reforms include more effective checks on government searches of Americans’ personal records, the “sneak and peek” search provision of the PATRIOT Act, “John Doe” roving wiretaps and other overbroad authorities. The bill will also reform the FISA Amendments Act, passed last year, by repealing the retroactive immunity provision, preventing “bulk collection” of the contents of Americans’ international communications, and prohibiting “reverse targeting” of innocent Americans. And the bill enables better oversight of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) after the Department of Justice Inspector General issued reports detailing the misuse and abuse of the NSLs. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd, on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act..."

The Economic Effects of Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse-Gas Emissions
"Global climate change poses one of the nation’s most significant long-term policy
challenges. Human activities are producing increasingly large quantities of greenhouse
gases, especially CO2. A strong consensus has developed in the expert community
that, if allowed to continue unabated, the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere will have extensive, highly uncertain, but potentially serious and costly
impacts on regional climates throughout the world. Those impacts are expected to
include widespread changes in the physical environment, changes in biological systems
(including agriculture), and changes in the viability of some economic sectors.
Moreover, the risk of abrupt and even catastrophic changes in climate cannot be ruled
out.1

Those expected and possible harms may motivate policy actions to reduce the extent
of climate change. However, the cost of doing so may be significant because it would
entail substantial reductions in global emissions over the coming decades. U.S. emissions
currently account for roughly 20 percent of global emissions. As a result, substantially
reducing global emissions would probably entail large reductions in U.S.
emissions as well as emissions in other countries. Achieving such reductions would
probably involve transforming the U.S. economy from one that runs on CO2-
emitting fossil fuels to one that increasingly relies on nuclear and renewable fuels,
accomplishing substantial improvements in energy efficiency, or implementing the
large-scale capture and storage of CO2 emissions..."

Projections of Education Statistics to 2018
"This publication provides projections for key education statistics. It includes statistics on enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools, and enrollment and earned degrees conferred expenditures of degree-granting institutions. For the Nation, the tables, figures, and text contain data on enrollment, teachers, graduates, and expenditures for the past 14 years and projections to the year 2018. For the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the tables, figures, and text contain data on projections of public elementary and secondary enrollment and public high school graduates to the year 2018. In addition, the report includes a methodology section describing models and assumptions used to develop national and state-level projections."

Medications Effective in Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer but Increase Risk of Adverse Effects, New Report Says
"Three drugs, including tamoxifen, reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, but each drug carries distinct potential harms of its own, according to a new report from the Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Drugs to reduce the risk of breast cancer can be prescribed to women with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, but prescribing practices vary widely. The comparative effectiveness review found that all three drugs—tamoxifen, raloxifene, and tibolone—significantly reduce invasive breast cancer in midlife and older women but that benefits and adverse effects can vary depending on the drug and the patient.

"Taking medicine to avoid breast cancer in the first place is an attractive notion, but the decision to do so must be made by patients in consultation with their clinicians with benefit of the best evidence available," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "These drugs are not necessarily for everyone. This report sheds important light on their advantages and potential harms."

The report is the first to make a direct, comprehensive comparison of the drugs so that women and their health care providers can assess the medications' potential effectiveness and adverse effects. The report compares the use of the three drugs to reduce the risks of getting breast cancer in women who have not previously had breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer of women (after skin cancer), with more than 190,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. It is estimated to cause more than 40,000 deaths per year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 15 percent of women born today will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Most cases of breast cancer occur in women with no specific risk factors other than age and gender, although family history of breast and ovarian cancer is associated with higher risk..."

Salazar Launches DOI Climate Change Response Strategy
"Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today launched the Department of the Interior’s first-ever coordinated strategy to address current and future impacts of climate change on America’s land, water, ocean, fish, wildlife, and cultural resources.

“Across the country, Americans are experiencing first-hand the impacts of climate change, from growing pressure on water supplies to more intense droughts and fires to rampant bark beetle infestations,” said Salazar. “Because Interior manages one-fifth of our nation’s landmass and 1.7 billion acres on the Outer Continental Shelf, it is imperative that we tackle these impacts of a failed and outdated energy policy. This secretarial order is another milestone in our continuing effort to change how Interior does business to respond to the energy and climate challenges of our time.”

The secretarial order signed today at Interior’s command center establishes a framework through which Interior bureaus will coordinate climate change science and resource management strategies.."

How Regulatory Standards Can Affect a Cap-and-Trade Program for Greenhouse Gases
"Some legislation considered by the current and previous Congresses has proposed combining cap-and-trade programs with various regulatory standards to reduce
greenhouse-gas emissions. Greenhouse gases increase the amount of energy temporarily held in the lower atmosphere, keeping the Earth’s surface warmer than it would
otherwise be. Such gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and several compounds that contain fluorine and chlorine.1 Cap-and-trade programs would place explicit restrictions on annual emissions, and producers whose activities generate greenhouse gases would be required to hold permits, called allowances, to continue
to produce those emissions. The allowances would have economic value, and they would be tradeable among companies and by individual people..."

Consumer Price Index - August 2009
"On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for all
Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4 percent in August, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today. The index has decreased 1.5 percent
over the last 12 months on a not seasonally adjusted basis.

The 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted increase in the CPI-U was driven
by a 9.1 percent rise in the gasoline index. This increase accounted
for almost the entire advance in the energy index and over 80 percent
of the overall increase. Despite the August increase, the gasoline
index has fallen 30.0 percent over the last 12 months..."

FDA Approves Vaccines for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus Approval Provides Important Tool to Fight Pandemic
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available, which is expected within the next four weeks.

“Today's approval is good news for our nation's response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus,” said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “This vaccine will help protect individuals from serious illness and death from influenza.”

The vaccines are made by CSL Limited, MedImmune LLC, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, and sanofi pasteur Inc. All four firms manufacture the H1N1 vaccines using the same processes, which have a long record of producing safe seasonal influenza vaccines.

”The H1N1 vaccines approved today undergo the same rigorous FDA manufacturing oversight, product quality testing and lot release procedures that apply to seasonal influenza vaccines,” said Jesse Goodman, M.D., FDA acting chief scientist.

Based on preliminary data from adults participating in multiple clinical studies, the 2009 H1N1 vaccines induce a robust immune response in most healthy adults eight to 10 days after a single dose, as occurs with the seasonal influenza vaccine..."

Clinton Administration White House Web Site
Find archival publications from the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum Web Site.

The Economic Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, First Quarterly Report
"As part of the unprecedented accountability and transparency provisions included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Council of Economic Advisers was charged with providing to Congress quarterly reports on the effects of the Recovery Act on overall economic activity, and on employment in particular. In this first report, we provide an assessment of the effects of the Act in its first six months.

Evaluating the impact of countercyclical macroeconomic policy is inherently difficult because we do not observe what would have happened to the economy in the absence of policy. And the sooner the evaluation is done after passage, the less data one has about key economic indicators. Any estimates of the impact of the ARRA at this early stage must therefore be regarded as preliminary and understood to be subject to considerable uncertainty. In this regard, it is important to note that there has not yet been any direct reporting by recipients of ARRA funds on job retention and creation. Such direct reporting data will be evaluated and incorporated in future reports.

Because of the inherent difficulties in the analysis, we approach the task of estimating the impact of the Recovery Act from a number of different directions. Our multi-faceted analysis suggests that the ARRA has had a substantial positive impact on the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) and on employment in the second and third quarters of 2009. That various approaches yield similar estimates increases the confidence one can have in the results..."

Access to Government Information In the United States
"The U.S. Constitution makes no specific allowance for any one of the three branches of the federal government to have access to information held by the others. No provision in the U.S. Constitution expressly establishes a procedure for public access to government information.

Congress has legislated various public access laws. Among these laws are two records access statutes,
• the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act or FOIA; 5 U.S.C. § 552), and
• the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a),
and two meetings access statutes,
• the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA; 5 U.S.C. App.), and
• the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. § 552b).

The American separation of powers model of government may inherently prompt interbranch conflicts over the accessibility of information. These conflicts are neither unexpected nor necessarily destructive. Although there is considerable interbranch cooperation in the sharing of information and records, such conflicts over access may continue on occasion.

This report offers an overview of the four information access laws noted above, and provides citations to additional resources related to these tools."

Global Terrorism Database
"The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world from 1970 through 2007 (with annual updates planned for the future). Unlike many other event databases, the GTD includes systematic data on domestic as well as international terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes more than 80,000 cases."

The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States, August 2009
"...The 2009 NIS represents several advances in the Director of National Intelligence’s
(DNI) leadership of the National Intelligence Program (NIP) and the IC. It reflects a refined understanding of the counterterrorism challenge and elevates the importance of
the challenges we face in the cyber domain and from counterintelligence threats. This
NIS also affirms priorities to focus IC plans and actions for the next four years, while providing direction to guide development of future IC capabilities. The NIS highlights areas that demand our attention, resources, and commitment. It also establishes the basis for accountability, in conjunction with an implementation plan, to ensure that the Community meets the goals of our strategy..."

Hispanic Heritage Month 2009: Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
"In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively."

U.S. Labor Department issues reports on international child labor and forced labor
"The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) today released three reports on child labor and/or forced labor in countries around the globe. The documents include the initial "List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor" required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA List).

"It is my strong hope that consumers, firms, governments, labor unions and other stakeholders will use this information to translate their economic power into a force for good that ultimately will eliminate abusive child labor and forced labor," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

The TVPRA List informs the public about 122 goods from 58 countries that ILAB has reason to believe are produced by forced labor, child labor or both in violation of international standards. ILAB also has released a proposed update to the "List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor" (EO List) pursuant to Executive Order 13126 of 1999. The list includes 29 products from 21 countries and will be available for public comment beginning Sept. 11. In addition, ILAB has published its 8th annual "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" as mandated by the Trade and Development Act of 2000 on the efforts of 141 countries and territories to combat exploitive child labor.

The countries with products included on the TVPRA List span every region of the world. The most common items listed include cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, rice and cocoa in agriculture; bricks, garments, carpets and footwear in manufacturing; and gold and coal in mined and quarried goods.

The primary purpose of the TVPRA List is to raise public awareness about the incidence of child labor and forced labor in the production of goods in the countries listed and to promote efforts to eliminate such practices. Today's release is an initial list that will be updated periodically...
Full report

Secretary Sebelius to Deliver Health Insurance Reform Address, Release New Report on Insurance Insecurity
" in 6 Americans with Health Insurance Provided by an Employer Lost Coverage

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today will address the University of Chicago’s dialogue on health care reform and education and issue a new report on the employer-sponsored insurance market. The new report, Insurance Insecurity: Families Are Losing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Coverage is available at www.HealthReform.gov and highlights problems in the status quo that have left Americans who receive health insurance from an employer at risk of losing their insurance coverage and joining the ranks of the uninsured.

“I share the President’s optimism that we can achieve reform this year. Americans have never understood this clearly -- our health insurance system is broken -- for the insured, for the uninsured, for all of us,” said Sebelius. “Now it’s time to deliver for the American people.”

The new report indicates:

A full one in six Americans with employer-sponsored insurance in 2006 lost that coverage by 2008.
When an employee and his or her family lose employer coverage, the family must seek alternative coverage and frequently turn to the individual market. However, a family that buys insurance on the individual market pays nearly 60 percent more in out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-payments than a family that gets insurance through work
Almost 75 percent of individuals looking for coverage on the individual market never bought a plan, with 61 percent of those who did not purchase the insurance citing premium cost as the primary reason.
The complete report can be read at www.HealthReform.gov."

Federal Agencies Release Draft Reports Required by Chesapeake Bay Executive Order
"Federal agencies today released the seven draft reports required by President Obama’s executive order on the Chesapeake Bay, which contain a range of proposed strategies for accelerating cleanup of the nation’s largest estuary and its vast watershed.

The draft reports collectively call for increased accountability and performance from pollution control, habitat protection and land conservation programs at all levels of government, including an expanded use of regulatory authorities to address pollution control and additional voluntary and market-based solutions – particularly when it comes to habitat protection and land conservation programs. Federal agencies are also proposing new ways to harness the latest innovations in science and technology. The proposed actions are in response to overwhelming scientific evidence that the health of the Chesapeake Bay remains exceptionally poor, despite the concerted restoration efforts of the past 25 years.

Full draft reports

Women in the Labor Force: A Databook, 2009 ed.
"The past several decades have been marked by notable changes in women’s labor force activities. Women’s labor force participation is significantly higher today than it was in the 1970s, particularly among women with children, and a larger share of women work full time and year round than in past decades. In addition, women have increasingly attained higher levels of education: among women aged 25 to 64 who are in the labor force, the proportion with a college degree roughly tripled from 1970 to 2008. Women’s earnings as a proportion of men’s earnings also have grown over time. In 1979, women working full time earned 62 percent of what men did; in 2008, women’s earnings were 80 percent of men’s.

This report presents historical and current labor force and earnings data for women and men from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Unless otherwise noted, data are annual averages from the CPS. Users should note that the comparisons of earnings in this report are on a broad level and do not control for many factors that can be significant in explaining earnings differences. For a detailed description of the source of the data and an explanation of concepts and definitions used, see the Technical Note
at the end of this report..."

Digital Preservation (Library of Congress)
Resources from the Library of Congress's Digital Preservation program.

Schizophrenia
New booklet from the National Institute of Mental Health featuring:
"Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia?
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
When does schizophrenia start and who gets it?
Are people with schizophrenia violent?
What about substance abuse?
What causes schizophrenia?
How is schizophrenia treated?
How can you help a person with schizophrenia?
What is the outlook for the future?
Citations"

INCOME, POVERTY AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES: 2008
"The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States fell 3.6 percent between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303. This breaks a string of three years of annual income increases and coincides with the recession that started in December 2007.

The nation’s official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2007. There were 39.8 million people in poverty in 2008, up from 37.3 million in 2007.

Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, while the percentage remained unchanged at 15.4 percent.

These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008. The following results for the nation were compiled from information collected in the 2009 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC)..."

OPEC Oil Export Revenues
"Based on projections from the EIA September 2009 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could earn $559 billion of net oil export revenues in 2009 and $675 billion in 2010. Last year, OPEC earned $971 billion in net oil export revenues, a 42 percent increase from 2007. Saudi Arabia earned the largest share of these earnings, $288 billion, representing 30 percent of total OPEC revenues. On a per-capita basis, OPEC net oil export earning reached $2,688 in 2008, a 40 percent increase from 2007."

THE OBAMA PLAN: STABILITY & SECURITY FOR ALL AMERICANS

"It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government."
– President Barack Obama

If You Have Health Insurance

More Stability and Security

Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Over the last three years, 12 million people were denied coverage directly or indirectly through high premiums due to a pre-existing condition. Under the President’s plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny coverage for health reasons or risks.
Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. The President’s plan will end insurers’ practice of charging different premiums or denying coverage based on gender, and will limit premium variation based on age.

Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. The President’s plan prohibits insurance companies from rescinding coverage that has already been purchased except in cases of fraud. In most states, insurance companies can cancel a policy if any medical condition was not listed on the application – even one not related to a current illness or one the patient didn’t even know about. A recent Congressional investigation found that over five years, three large insurance companies cancelled coverage for 20,000 people, saving them from paying $300 million in medical claims - $300 million that became either an obligation for the patient’s family or bad debt for doctors and hospitals..."

"If You Don't Have Insurance

Quality, Affordable Choices for All Americans

Creates a new insurance marketplace – the Exchange – that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. The President’s plan allows Americans who have health insurance and like it to keep it. But for those who lose their jobs, change jobs or move, new high quality, affordable options will be available in the exchange. Beginning in 2013, the Exchange will give Americans without access to affordable insurance on the job, and small businesses one-stop shopping for insurance where they can easily compare options based on price, benefits, and quality..."

Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products List
"Topics on this Page

Purpose of the Fraudulent Products List
Consumer Considerations about the Products List
View Products List
Purpose of the Fraudulent Products List

This list is intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products.

Consumer Considerations about the Products List

This list does not include every Web site that is marketing products related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus without FDA approval, clearance, or authorization, only those Web sites to which FDA has issued a warning letter.
Even if a Web site is not included in this list, consumers should exercise caution before purchasing over the Internet any product purporting to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus.
Please note that some of these products may be approved or cleared by FDA for other medical uses. The fact that a product is listed on this page indicates ONLY that the products are not cleared, approved, or authorized for the diagnosis, mitigation, prevention, treatment, or cure of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
Once included, all Web sites and products will remain listed. After FDA has verified that the products or the objectionable claims related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus have been removed from the Web site, this information will be added to the list.

The information is current as of the date indicated. If we learn that any information is not accurate, we will revise the list as soon as possible..."

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine
"What are the plans for developing 2009 H1N1 vaccine?
Vaccines are the most powerful public health tool for control of influenza, and the U.S. government is working closely with manufacturers to take steps in the process to manufacture a 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Working together with scientists in the public and private sector, CDC has isolated the new H1N1 virus and modified the virus so that it can be used to make hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers are now using these materials to begin vaccine production. Making vaccine is a multi-step process which takes several months to complete. Candidate vaccines will be tested in clinical trials over the few months.

When is it expected that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will be available?
The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in the fall. More specific dates cannot be provided at this time as vaccine availability depends on several factors including manufacturing time and time needed to conduct clinical trials.."

Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics
"he Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) of the U.S. Department of Justice is one of the smallest of the U.S. principal statistical agencies but shoulders one of the most expansive and detailed legal mandates among those agencies. Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics examines the full range of BJS programs and suggests priorities for data collection.

BJS's data collection portfolio is a solid body of work, well justified by public information needs or legal requirements and a commendable effort to meet its broad mandate given less-than-commensurate fiscal resources. The book identifies some major gaps in the substantive coverage of BJS data, but notes that filling those gaps would require increased and sustained support in terms of staff and fiscal resources..."

Will the Demand for Assets Fall When the Baby Boomers Retire?
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produces regular reports on the state of the
U.S. economy as well as 10-year and long-term projections of the nation’s budget
and economic outlook. In its analyses, CBO examines a range of developments that could have short- or longer-term consequences for the economy. In the decade to
come, one such important development will be the retirement of a substantial proportion of the baby-boom generation—the segment of the nation’s population
born between 1946 and 1964, whose oldest members turned 62 in 2008.

Although the shift in demographics caused by that group’s retirement from the
workforce might affect the U.S. economy in many ways, this background paper
focuses on what could happen in just one area: the demand for assets, particularly
financial assets, such as stocks and bonds. Some economists have warned of the
possibility of a dramatic decline in demand as baby boomers sell off their assets
to finance consumption in retirement; they assert that the sell-off could cause a dramatic decline in prices. An evaluation of the evidence, however, indicates that such a dramatic decline in asset demand and prices is unlikely."

Low-Income Women’s Experiences With Food Programs, Food Spending, and Food-Related Hardships: Evidence From Qualitative Data
"This study examines the economic coping strategies of low-income families, using data collected through qualitative interviews conducted in 2006-08 with 35 low-income women residing in the Detroit metropolitan area. Three rounds of interviews found that the majority of the sample were employed at least some of the time, and most had children living with them. Despite careful shopping practices, rising food prices forced cutbacks in purchase of certain foods, including milk, cereal, fruits, and meat. Just under half reported running out of food at some point during the year. As for government assistance, the then named Food Stamp Program, and now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), was their mainstay. Even when eligible for benefits, many of the families did not receive cash assistance, unemployment benefits, or workers’ compensation due to perceived access barriers.

Disclaimer: This study was conducted by University of Michigan under cooperative agreement number 59-5000-6-0103. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ERS or USDA."

Policy Challenges in International Migration
"Immigration is a leading policy concern for many countries around the world, including the United States. Members of Congress have for several years had immigration policy as one of their main legislative issues. Yet, determining an optimal immigration policy has grown increasingly complex as economic, cultural, and security pressures all compete for political consideration. In an effort to tackle some of this complexity, this report serves as a broad overview of the standard
theory of international migration and offers a brief synopsis of the major immigration-related policy challenges potentially involved in the legislative debates in Congress. The overview examines several possible issues for Congress as it considers new legislation on immigration reform, including (1) how new immigration legislation might affect migratory behavior and (2)the possible effects of increased or decreased migration on related policy issues..."

Sebelius Visits Maine, Releases New Report on Importance of Health Insurance Reform for Older Women and Senior Women
"U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will travel to Maine today and formally release a new report on the importance of health insurance reform for older women (ages 55-64) and senior women (ages 65 and older). In Maine, Sebelius will participate in a roundtable discussion in South Portland sponsored by AARP and the Maine Women’s Lobby. Later, she will hear from Mainers who are struggling under the status quo at the University of Maine, Orono at a discussion sponsored by Maine Change that Works. The report Sebelius will formally release today, Strengthening the Health Insurance System: How Health Insurance Reform Will Help America’s Older and Senior Women
is available at www.HealthReform.gov.

“Our mothers and grandmothers have unique health needs and under the status quo, they aren’t getting the quality, affordable care they deserve,” said Sebelius. “Health insurance reform will strengthen health care for older women and senior women in Maine and across the country.”

The report released today identifies problems with the status quo for older women and senior women and proposed solutions in health insurance reform including:

Senior women spent on average 17 percent of their income on health care in 2005. The growth in Medicare Part B premiums from 2000 to 2018 is predicted to cost seniors an additional $1,577 per year out-of-pocket. Health insurance reform will reduce overpayments to private plans and clamp down on fraud and abuse to lower premiums for all seniors and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund by 5 years.
One in five women aged 50 and above has not received a mammogram in the past two years. By ensuring that health plans cover preventive services for everyone, investing in prevention and wellness, and promoting primary care, health insurance reform will work to create a system that prevents illness and disease instead of just treating it when it’s too late and costs more."

2009-H1N1 National Preparedness and Response Overview
"The health and safety of the American people is the first priority of President Barack Obama. Since the novel 2009-H1N1 flu virus emerged in the United States during the third week of April, the President has received regular briefings and asked his Cabinet to spare no effort in addressing this national security challenge. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is leading the way on public health preparedness and response efforts, the Principal Federal Official for domestic incidents, the Secretary of Homeland Security, is coordinating the supporting activities of Federal departments and agencies and facilitating response actions with State, local and territorial governments and tribal and private sector partners, while other Cabinet officials are leading complementary initiatives in their area of responsibility. It is a well-coordinated, all hands on deck approach. All Federal efforts are aimed at reducing the impact of 2009-H1N1 on the health and well-being of Americans and on the economy and functioning of society. Key elements of our preparedness and response efforts include:

Preparing for a fall wave of H1N1 flu with great team work across the Nation

Implementing a National Framework for 2009-H1N1 preparedness and response, including the four pillars of surveillance, mitigation, vaccine, and communications

Partnering with Congress, governors, mayors, territorial and tribal officials, state and local health departments and emergency managers, the medical community, private-sector entities, and community-based groups for an effective response

Issuing medical, science-derived public guidance for K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, businesses and employers, and families across the country available 24/7 on http://www.flu.gov
Making steady progress on developing a safe, effective, and voluntary H1N1 flu vaccine

Preparing for a voluntary, but strongly recommended, H1N1 flu shot program to be available to all Americans that wish to participate over a period of time
Encouraging Americans to act on a shared responsibility to reduce the impact of H1N1 flu

Calling on individuals and families to plan for the fall flu season and to take steps to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu."

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event
"The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning..."

Measuring the Effects of the Business Cycle on the Federal Budget: An Update
"In August 2009, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its most recent
baseline projections of federal revenues, outlays, and budget balances for the next
10 fiscal years.1 CBO develops its projections through a process that assumes the continuation of the laws and policies that affect taxes and mandatory spending programs
and that extrapolates the growth of discretionary spending by using projected rates of
inflation. According to CBO’s projections, under current tax and spending policies,
the budget deficit would increase from $459 billion in 2008 to $1.6 trillion in 2009
and then fall to $1.4 trillion in 2010 and to $921 billion in 2011..."

National Preparedness Month, September 2009
"NPM 2009: Are You Ready Or Are You Ready?

We hope your organization will join the Ready Campaign and our partners Citizen Corps and the Ad Council in spreading the emergency preparedness message this September for the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM).

NPM 2009 will focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and will help Americans understand what it truly means to be Ready. We will illustrate how preparedness goes beyond fire alarms, smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks and extra food in the pantry and help you communicate important preparedness messages to your family, your business and your community with a new series of customizable materials..."

Surveillance for Pediatric Deaths Associated with 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection --- United States, April--August 2009
"Children aged <5 years or with certain chronic medical conditions are at increased risk for complications and death from influenza (1--3). Because of this increased risk, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has prioritized influenza prevention and treatment for children aged <5 years and for those with certain chronic medical and immunosuppressive conditions (4,5). CDC monitors child influenza deaths through its influenza-associated pediatric mortality reporting system. As of August 8, 2009, CDC had received reports of 477 deaths associated with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in the United States, including 36 deaths among children aged <18 years. To characterize these cases, CDC analyzed data from April to August 2009. The results of that analysis indicated that, of 36 children who died, seven (19%) were aged <5 years, and 24 (67%) had one or more of the high-risk medical conditions. Twenty-two (92%) of the 24 children with high-risk medical conditions had neurodevelopmental conditions. Among 23 children with culture or pathology results reported, laboratory-confirmed bacterial coinfections were identified in 10 (43%), including all six children who 1) were aged ≥5 years, 2) had no recognized high-risk condition, and 3) had culture or pathology results reported. Early diagnosis of influenza can enable prompt initiation of antiviral therapy for children who are at greater risk or severely ill. Clinicians also should be aware of the potential for severe bacterial coinfections among children diagnosed with influenza and treat accordingly. All children aged ≥6 months and caregivers of children aged <6 months should receive influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine when available..."

Rural America at a Glance:2009 Edition
"Update of an annual series, the 2009 edition of Rural America At A Glance deals with effects of the major recession on rural America. Initially, effects of the recession were mitigated in nonmetro areas by high commodity prices throughout much of 2008, but as the recession deepened, prices fell. Both nonmetro and metro areas experienced rising unemployment as manufacturing and other major employment sectors contracted, and they were similarly affected by the mortgage foreclosure crisis. However, even before the current recession, nonmetro poverty rates had risen in the growth years after the 2001 recession, against the usual trend during a time of economic expansion; the nonmetro poverty rate has exceeded the national poverty rate since 2001. The nonmetro population continued to grow in 2007 and 2008, but at less than half the rate of the metro population. Nonmetro growth is largely due to a rise in births, offsetting a decline in net migration from metro to nonmetro areas."

Frequently Asked Questions (U.S.Small Businesss Administration)
Find information on the activities of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Frequently Asked Questions(Small Business Administration)
Answers to frequently asked questions from the U.S. Small Business Administration

WHITE HOUSE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE POLICY VISITOR ACCESS RECORDS
"he President has decided to increase governmental transparency by implementing a voluntary disclosure policy governing White House visitor access records. The White House will release, on a monthly basis, all previously unreleased WAVES and ACR access records that are 90 to 120 days old. For example, records created in January 2010 will be released at the end of April 2010. The short time lag will allow the White House to continue to conduct business, while still providing the American people with an unprecedented amount of information about their government. No previous White House has ever adopted such a policy.

The voluntary disclosure policy will apply to records created after September 15, 2009, and the first release of records (covering the month of September) will occur at the end of the year, on or about December 31, 2009. We expect that each monthly release will include tens of thousands of electronic records. Since the White House considers these records to be subject to the Presidential Records Act, it will continue to preserve them accordingly..."

VIOLENT CRIME RATE REMAINED UNCHANGED WHILE THEFT RATE DECLINED IN 2008
"The violent crime rate in 2008—19.3 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older—was unchanged from the previous year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, announced today. The property crime rate declined during 2008 from 147 to 135 crimes per 1,000 households, primarily as a result of decreases in theft and motor vehicle theft.

In 2008, an estimated 4.9 million violent crimes (rapes or sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated assaults and simple assaults) occurred, as well as an estimated 16.3 million property crimes (burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and household thefts) and 137,000 personal thefts (picked pockets and snatched purses). These offenses included both crimes reported and unreported to police. With the exception of theft and motor vehicle theft, victimization rates for every type of crime measured were unchanged from the 2007 levels..."

Passports: Current Regulations
"Prior to 2007, little or no documentation was required to enter the United States from Canada,
Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean. In December 2004, with the 9/11 Commission
recommending tighter borders to help prevent another terrorist attack, Congress passed the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which now requires passports for anyone entering
the United States. As of mid-2009, approximately 30% of American citizens hold a passport.

After the January 2007 implementation of phase I of the new passport regulations (requiring
passports when entering by air), the Department of State was deluged with passport applications.
The time necessary to get a passport expanded from the typical four to six weeks to several
months, ruining many Americans’ travel plans.

On January 31, 2008, another change occurred. Government-issued proof of identity and
citizenship documents are required to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda,
and the Caribbean, according to the Department of Homeland Security. People under the age of
18, however, are allowed to present only proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

Phase II, implemented on June 1, 2009, adds to the existing requirements that travelers have
passports for all land and sea crossings. U.S. or Canadian children under the age of 16, however,
are allowed to present an original or copy of their birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. Groups of U.S. or Canadian children under the age of 19, when traveling in church or school groups, social groups, or sports teams, and when entering under adult supervision, also can
present birth certificates or other proof of citizenship, rather than a passport..."

The History of Labor Day
"Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic..."

Criminal Victimization, 2008
"Presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization and describes the year-to-year change from 2007 as well as trends for the ten-year period from 1999 through 2008. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2008, 42,093 households and 77,852 individuals were interviewed twice for the NCVS. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall..."

Investigation of Failure of the SEC To Uncover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi Scheme
"The OIG investigation did not find evidence that any SEC personnel who worked on an SEC examination or investigation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC (BMIS) had any financial or other inappropriate connection with Bernard Madoff or the Madoff family that influenced the conduct of their examination or investigatory work. The OIG also did not find that former SEC Assistant Director Eric Swanson's romantic relationship with Bernard Madoffs niece, Shana Madoff, influenced the conduct of the SEC examinations of Madoff and his firm. We also did not find that senior officials at the SEC directly attempted to influence examinations or investigations of Madoff or the Madofffirm, nor was there evidence any senior SEC official interfered with the staffs ability to perform its work.

The OIG investigation did find, however, that the SEC received more than ample information in the form of detailed and substantive complaints over the years to warrant a thorough and comprehensive examination and/or investigation of Bernard Madoff and BMIS for operating a Ponzi scheme, and that despite three examinations and two investigations being conducted, a thorough and competent investigation or examination was never performed. The OIG found that between June 1992 and December 2008 when Madoff confessed, the SEC received six! substantive complaints that raised significant red flags concerning Madoffs hedge fund operations and should have led to questions about whether Madoffwas actually engaged in trading. Finally, the SEC was also aware oftwo articles regarding Madoffsinvestment operations that appeared in reputable publications in 2001 and questioned Madoffs unusually consistent returns..."

Animal Emergency and Disaster Planning Information
"
Companion Animals
Pets, information for pet owners; Disaster preparedness; Animal safety; Dog and cat CPR; Pet poison prevention; and more.

Farm Animals
Farm animal rescue; Disaster preparedness for livestock including horses; Animal health. Accidents and livestock; Poisonous plants database; Carcass disposal; and more.

Research Animals
Disaster planning for animal facilities; and more.

Zoo, Circus and Marine Animals
Disaster planning; Training modules; Guidelines for police officers responding to animal incidents; Poison and pesticide information; and more.

Economic Downturns and Crime
"The United States is currently in the midst of a recession that some analysts believe will be the longest-lasting economic downturn since the Great Depression. Various indicators of economic health, such as the unemployment rate and foreclosures, have reached their worst showings in decades over the past few months. The troubled state of the economy has revived the longstanding debate concerning whether economic factors can be linked to increases in the nation’s crime rates. This report examines the available research on how selected economic variables may or may not be related to crime rates..."

United States Actions To Counter Piracy Off the Horn of Africa
"The United States Government, in concert with the American maritime industry and other concerned nations and international organizations, continues to work to prevent pirates operating in the waters off of the Horn of Africa from interfering with maritime commerce, endangering mariners, hindering the provision of humanitarian aid to East Africa, and further destabilizing this troubled region.

Each year, approximately 33,000 commercial ships traverse the Gulf of Aden, making it among the world’s busiest shipping corridors. Since 2009, there were 138 pirate attacks on commercial vessels, of which 33 were successful. In 2008, there were 122 pirate attacks with 42 successes. In 2007, there were 19 pirate attacks with 12 successes.

A Coordinated Federal Response: The National Security Council issued the Partnership and Action Plan for Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa in December 2008 as an adjunct to the National Strategy for Maritime Security. Implementation of the Action Plan is overseen by the Counter-Piracy Steering Group, an interagency forum co-led by the Departments of State and Defense and consisting of representatives from the Departments of Justice, Treasury, Transportation (U.S. Maritime Administration), Homeland Security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Department of State orchestrates United States participation in the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which was created following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851 in order to better coordinate international counter-piracy efforts. Over 75 bureaus, offices, and U.S. embassies are involved in this complex cross-cutting issue that has significant national security implications..."

Department of Defense Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Background and Analysis
"...The use of contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised a number of issues for Congress,
including 1) whether DOD is gathering and analyzing the right data on the use of contractors, 2)
what steps DOD is taking to improve contract management and oversight, and 3) the extent to
which contractors are included in military doctrine and strategy. This report examines current
contractor trends in Iraq and Afghanistan, steps DOD has taken to improve contractor oversight
and management, and the extent to which DOD has incorporated the role of contractors into its
doctrine and strategy. It also reviews steps Congress has taken to exercise oversight over DOD
contracting, including contracting issues that have been the focus of hearings and legislation."

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT EULOGY FOR SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY
"THE PRESIDENT: Your Eminence, Vicki, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the United States Senate -- a man who graces nearly 1,000 laws, and who penned more than 300 laws himself.

But those of us who loved him, and ache with his passing, know Ted Kennedy by the other titles he held: Father. Brother. Husband. Grandfather. Uncle Teddy, or as he was often known to his younger nieces and nephews, "The Grand Fromage," or "The Big Cheese." I, like so many others in the city where he worked for nearly half a century, knew him as a colleague, a mentor, and above all, as a friend.

Ted Kennedy was the baby of the family who became its patriarch; the restless dreamer who became its rock. He was the sunny, joyful child who bore the brunt of his brothers' teasing, but learned quickly how to brush it off. When they tossed him off a boat because he didn't know what a jib was, six-year-old Teddy got back in and learned to sail. When a photographer asked the newly elected Bobby to step back at a press conference because he was casting a shadow on his younger brother, Teddy quipped, "It'll be the same in Washington."

That spirit of resilience and good humor would see Teddy through more pain and tragedy than most of us will ever know. He lost two siblings by the age of 16. He saw two more taken violently from a country that loved them. He said goodbye to his beloved sister, Eunice, in the final days of his life. He narrowly survived a plane crash, watched two children struggle with cancer, buried three nephews, and experienced personal failings and setbacks in the most public way possible.

It's a string of events that would have broken a lesser man. And it would have been easy for Ted to let himself become bitter and hardened; to surrender to self-pity and regret; to retreat from public life and live out his years in peaceful quiet. No one would have blamed him for that.

But that was not Ted Kennedy. As he told us, "…[I]ndividual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in -- and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves." Indeed, Ted was the "Happy Warrior" that the poet Wordsworth spoke of when he wrote:

As tempted more; more able to endure,
As more exposed to suffering and distress;
Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.

Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and the suffering of others -- the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health insurance, the Family and Medical Leave Act -- all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life work was not to champion the causes of those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow.

We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers' rights or civil rights. And yet, as has been noted, while his causes became deeply personal, his disagreements never did. While he was seen by his fiercest critics as a partisan lightning rod, that's not the prism through which Ted Kennedy saw the world, nor was it the prism through which his colleagues saw Ted Kennedy. He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and platform and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect -- a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots.

And that's how Ted Kennedy became the greatest legislator of our time. He did it by hewing to principle, yes, but also by seeking compromise and common cause -- not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness, and humor. There was the time he courted Orrin Hatch for support of the Children's Health Insurance Program by having his chief of staff serenade the senator with a song Orrin had written himself; the time he delivered shamrock cookies on a china plate to sweeten up a crusty Republican colleague; the famous story of how he won the support of a Texas committee chairman on an immigration bill. Teddy walked into a meeting with a plain manila envelope, and showed only the chairman that it was filled with the Texan's favorite cigars. When the negotiations were going well, he would inch the envelope closer to the chairman. (Laughter.) When they weren't, he'd pull it back. (Laughter.) Before long, the deal was done. (Laughter.)

It was only a few years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, when Teddy buttonholed me on the floor of the Senate for my support of a certain piece of legislation that was coming up for vote. I gave my pledge, but I expressed skepticism that it would pass. But when the roll call was over, the bill garnered the votes that it needed, and then some. I looked at Teddy with astonishment and asked how had he done it. He just patted me on the back and said, "Luck of the Irish." (Laughter.)

Of course, luck had little to do with Ted Kennedy's legislative success; he knew that. A few years ago, his father-in-law told him that he and Daniel Webster just might be the two greatest senators of all time. Without missing a beat, Teddy replied, "What did Webster do?" (Laughter.)

But though it is Teddy's historic body of achievements that we will remember, it is his giving heart that we will miss. It was the friend and the colleague who was always the first to pick up the phone and say, "I'm sorry for your loss," or "I hope you feel better," or "What can I do to help?" It was the boss so adored by his staff that over 500, spanning five decades, showed up for his 75th birthday party. It was the man who sent birthday wishes and thank-you notes and even his own paintings to so many who never imagined that a U.S. senator of such stature would take the time to think about somebody like them. I have one of those paintings in my private study off the Oval Office -- a Cape Cod seascape that was a gift to a freshman legislator who had just arrived in Washington and happened to admire it when Ted Kennedy welcomed him into his office. That, by the way, is my second gift from Teddy and Vicki after our dog Bo. And it seems like everyone has one of those stories -- the ones that often start with "You wouldn't believe who called me today."

Ted Kennedy was the father who looked not only after his own three children, but John's and Bobby's as well. He took them camping and taught them to sail. He laughed and danced with them at birthdays and weddings; cried and mourned with them through hardship and tragedy; and passed on that same sense of service and selflessness that his parents had instilled in him. Shortly after Ted walked Caroline down the aisle and gave her away at the altar, he received a note from Jackie that read, "On you the carefree youngest brother fell a burden a hero would have begged to been spared. We are all going to make it because you were always there with your love."

Not only did the Kennedy family make it because of Ted's love -- he made it because of theirs, especially because the love and the life he found in Vicki. After so much loss and so much sorrow, it could not have been easy for Ted to risk his heart again. And that he did is a testament to how deeply he loved this remarkable woman from Louisiana. And she didn't just love him back. As Ted would often acknowledge, Vicki saved him. She gave him strength and purpose; joy and friendship; and stood by him always, especially in those last, hardest days.

We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know what God's plan is for us.

What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and with love, and with joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of others.

This is how Ted Kennedy lived. This is his legacy. He once said, as has already been mentioned, of his brother Bobby that he need not be idealized or enlarged in death because what he was in life -- and I imagine he would say the same about himself. The greatest expectations were placed upon Ted Kennedy's shoulders because of who he was, but he surpassed them all because of who he became. We do not weep for him today because of the prestige attached to his name or his office. We weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through pain and tragedy -- not for the sake of ambition or vanity; not for wealth or power; but only for the people and the country that he loved.

In the days after September 11th, Teddy made it a point to personally call each one of the 177 families of this state who lost a loved one in the attack. But he didn't stop there. He kept calling and checking up on them. He fought through red tape to get them assistance and grief counseling. He invited them sailing, played with their children, and would write each family a letter whenever the anniversary of that terrible day came along. To one widow, he wrote the following:

"As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved ones would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us."

We carry on.

Ted Kennedy has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those that he has loved and lost. At last he is with them once more, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the memories he gave, the good that he did, the dream he kept alive, and a single, enduring image -- the image of a man on a boat, white mane tousled, smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for whatever storms may come, carrying on toward some new and wondrous place just beyond the horizon. May God bless Ted Kennedy, and may he rest in eternal peace."