Glaciers Retreating in Asia
"Many of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change.
This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise.

The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a report on the status of glaciers throughout all of Asia, including Russia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

“Of particular interest are the Himalaya, where glacier behavior impacts the quality of life of tens of millions of people,” said USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno. “Glaciers in the Himalaya are a major source of fresh water and supply meltwater to all of the rivers in northern India.”

As glaciers become smaller, water runoff decreases, which is especially important during the dry season when other water sources are limited. Climate change also brings warmer temperatures and earlier water runoff from glaciers, and this combined with spring and summer rains can result in flood conditions. The overall glacier retreat and additional melt can increase the amount of water dammed in the vicinity of a glacier, and the added pressure enhances the likelihood of disastrous outburst flooding..."

Report Finds Investments in Innovation are Paying Off
"Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a new report, “The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation,” which finds that the Recovery Act’s investments in science, technology and innovation are creating new jobs and strengthening advances in science that will create cost cuts for consumers.

Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following statement:

“This report reiterates that investments in innovation have a direct and positive impact on our economy. Innovation—especially new energy technology—is the path to solving climate change, meeting our growing needs for energy, reinvigorating our economy, and ensuring our competitiveness over the long-term by creating good jobs in America. The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, which passed the House of Representatives in May, authorizes important investments in science, innovation, and education. These investments will support employers today while encouraging the growth of the new industries of tomorrow, and the jobs that come with them. Thanks to investments like those in COMPETES and the Recovery Act, the US is better positioned to maintain its scientific and economic global leadership.”.."

Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in the United States: Fall 2009, Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2008–09, and 12-Month Enrollment: 2008–09
"This First Look presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2009 data collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2009-10 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009, and 12-Month Enrollment covering academic year 2008-09.

The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the IPEDS Data Center and the College Navigator. Both of these sources can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. This First Look report is based on the collection of data from more than 6,700 postsecondary education institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs.

The purpose of this report is to introduce new data through the presentation of tables containing descriptive information. As a result, only selected findings are presented. These findings have been chosen to demonstrate the range of information available when using the IPEDS data rather than to discuss all of the observed differences, and they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue..."

The European Union’s Response to the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis
"The purpose of this report is to assess the response of the European Union (EU) to the 2007-2009
financial crisis in terms of the financial regulatory changes the EU has made or is planning to
make. The financial crisis began in the United States during the second half of 2006 with a sharp
increase in U.S. bank losses due to subprime mortgage foreclosures. Because the U.S. and EU
banks were using a similar business model, the EU banks experienced similar distressed financial
conditions that U.S. banks faced. Large banks on both sides of the Atlantic found themselves
severely undercapitalized and holding insufficient liquidity. However, because in the European
Union financial regulations are enforced at the European level as well as the member country
level, finding and implementing effective remedies for the causes of the financial crisis have been
slower and different than the United States..."

EPA, DOT Propose New Fuel Economy Labels/Agencies
"As a new generation of cars and light trucks start appearing on the market, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly proposing changes to the fuel economy labels consumers see on the window of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms. The proposed rule seeks public comment on label design options and related issues. The public can view the proposed rule and labels at: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/ and submit comments as part of the rulemaking process via email to: newlabels@epa.gov. They can also review the proposed rule at http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy.

“We are asking the American people to tell us what they need to make the best economic and environmental decisions when buying a new car,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “New fuel economy labels will keep pace with the new generation of fuel efficient cars and trucks rolling off the line, and provide simple, straightforward updates to inform consumers about their choices in a rapidly changing market. We want to help buyers find vehicles that meet their needs, keep the air clean and save them money at the pump.”

“New technologies such as battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are entering the American market in greater numbers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We need to provide consumers with labels that include fuel economy and environmental information so that buyers can make better informed decisions when purchasing new vehicles.”

The goal of the new fuel economy labels is to provide consumers with simple, straightforward energy and environmental comparisons across all types of vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and conventional gasoline-powered vehicles..."

Consumer Help Center - FCC
Find help for your telephone- cell phone, landline - problems at the new Consumer Help Center of the Federal Communications Commission.

International Comparisons of Hourly Compensation Costs in Manufacturing, 2008
"The trade-weighted average of hourly compensation costs in U.S. dollars for all employees in manufacturing among 32 foreign economies was 85 percent of the U.S. level in 2008, increasing from 82 percent in 2007, according to data issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (See chart 1.) Compensation costs relative to the United States rose or remained unchanged in 28 of the 32 foreign economies covered in 2008. (See table 1.) This news release contains data for all employees and
production workers. (See discussion on page 3, table B, and table 7.) A note on labor costs in China and India appears on page 4 of this release..."

Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups
"This report profiles current conditions and recent trends in the education of students by racial and ethnic group. It presents a selection of indicators that illustrate the educational achievement and attainment of White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students. This report presents 29 indicators that provide information and examine (1) demographics, (2) patterns of preprimary, elementary, and secondary school enrollment; (3) student achievement, (4)persistence; (5) student behaviors that can affect their education; (6) participation in postsecondary education; and (7) outcomes of education..."

Estimates of Deaths Associated with Seasonal Influenza --- United States, 1976--2007
"Influenza infections are associated with thousands of deaths every year in the United States, with the majority of deaths from seasonal influenza occurring among adults aged ≥65 years (1--4). For several decades, CDC has made annual estimates of influenza-associated deaths, which have been used in influenza research and to develop influenza control and prevention policy. To update previously published estimates of the numbers and rates of influenza-associated deaths during 1976--2003 by adding four influenza seasons through 2006--07, CDC used statistical models with data from death certificate reports. National mortality data for two categories of underlying cause of death codes, pneumonia and influenza causes and respiratory and circulatory causes, were used in regression models to estimate lower and upper bounds for the number of influenza-associated deaths. Estimates by seasonal influenza virus type and subtype were examined to determine any association between virus type and subtype and the number of deaths in a season. This report summarizes the results of these analyses, which found that, during 1976--2007, estimates of annual influenza-associated deaths from respiratory and circulatory causes (including pneumonia and influenza causes) ranged from 3,349 in 1986--87 to 48,614 in 2003--04. The annual rate of influenza-associated death in the United States overall during this period ranged from 1.4 to 16.7 deaths per 100,000 persons. The findings also indicated the wide variation in the estimated number of deaths from season to season was closely related to the particular influenza virus types and subtypes in circulation..."

WORKER DISPLACEMENT: 2007-2009
"From January 2007 through December 2009, 6.9 million workers were displaced from jobs they had
held for at least 3 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was nearly twice as many as were displaced for the survey period covering January 2005 to December 2007. In January
2010, about half of displaced workers were reemployed, down from about two-thirds for the prior sur-
vey in January 2008. The more recent period includes the recession that began in December 2007. In
contrast, the prior survey covered a period of employment growth and declining unemployment..."

Live Births, Birth Rates, and Fertility Rates, by Race: United States, 1909-2003
Find statistics on historical births and birth rates by race.

Births: Final Data for 2007
"...A total of 4,316,233 births were registered in the United States in 2007, the largest number of births ever reported. The general fertility rate increased 1 percent to 69.5 per 1,000. Birth rates increased for women in nearly all age groups. The rate for teenagers rose 1 percent, and is up 5 percent from 2005. The total fertility rate increased 1 percent to 2,122.0 births per 1,000 women. 2008 preliminary data, however, suggest a decline in the number and rate of births overall, and for most age groups under 40 years. All measures of unmarried childbearing reached record levels in 2007. The cesarean delivery rate rose to another all-time high - 31.8 percent. Preterm and low birthweight rates declined slightly; twin and triplet and higher order multiple birth rates were essentially unchanged. Preliminary findings for 2008 suggest a continuation of these trends for cesarean delivery, unmarried childbearing, and preterm births."

Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in the United States: Fall 2009 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2008-09, and 12-Month Enrollment 2008-09
"This First Look presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2009 data collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2009-10 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009. and data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2008-09 academic year. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system.
Online Availability:
Download, view and print the report as a pdf file."

Estimated Impact of the Stimulus Package on Employment and Economic Output
"nder the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the economic stimulus package, certain recipients of funds appropriated in ARRA (most grant and loan recipients, contractors, and subcontractors) are required to report the number of jobs funded through ARRA after the end of each calendar quarter. The law also requires CBO to comment on those reported numbers. A CBO report released this afternoon satisfies that requirement and under the law is required to be submitted no later than today. The report provides CBO’s estimates of ARRA’s overall impact on employment and economic output in the second quarter of calendar year 2010. The most recent estimates for the second quarter and beyond vary only slightly from those in our quarterly ARRA report released in May.

When ARRA was being considered, CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that it would increase budget deficits by $787 billion between fiscal years 2009 and 2019. CBO now estimates that the total impact over the 2009–2019 period will amount to $814 billion. Close to half of that impact is estimated to occur in fiscal year 2010, and about 70 percent of ARRA’s budgetary impact will have been realized by the close of that fiscal year..."

Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain
"The concentration of production of rare earth elements (REEs) outside the United States raises the
important issue of supply vulnerability. REEs are used for new energy technologies and national
security applications. Is the United States vulnerable to supply disruptions of REEs? Are these
elements essential to U.S. national security and economic well-being?

There are 17 rare earth elements (REEs), 15 within the chemical group called lanthanides, plus
yttrium and scandium. The lanthanides consist of the following: lanthanum, cerium,
praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium,
dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. Rare earths are moderately
abundant in the earth’s crust, some even more abundant than copper, lead, gold, and platinum.
While more abundant than many other minerals, REE are not concentrated enough to make them
easily exploitable economically. The United States was once self-reliant in domestically produced
REEs, but over the past 15 years has become 100% reliant on imports, primarily from China,
because of lower-cost operations..."

Justice Department Issues Guidance Letter to State Courts Regarding Their Obligation to Provide Language Access
"The Justice Department today issued a letter to chief justices and administrators of state courts clarifying the obligation of courts that receive federal financial assistance to provide oral interpretation, written translation and other language services to people who are limited English proficient (LEP). This month marks the 10th anniversary of Executive Order 13166 which requires federal agencies to ensure that recipients of federal financial assistance comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by providing meaningful access to LEP persons.

Today’s letter provides state courts guidance regarding the requirement to provide meaningful access to their programs and services for LEP persons through the provision of language services, pursuant to the prohibition against national origin discrimination contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (Safe Streets Act), and their implementing regulations. The letter includes an overview of applicable civil rights laws, Supreme Court precedent, guidance and illustrative examples of situations that would warrant the provision of language services..."

Broadband Performance
"This paper analyzes residential consumer usage of broadband and the performance of fixed1 broadband connections in the U.S. The data and analyses in this paper were used to create
the National Broadband Availability Target described in the National Broadband Plan (NBP), and therefore represent key inputs into the calculation of the broadband availability gap. The paper also explains how networks have evolved and could evolve over time and what drives network usage and performance demands.

This paper is organized into three sections. The first section examines how residential consumers use their broadband service and classifies consumers into four distinct broadband use profiles. The second discusses the performance of U.S. broadband connections that consumers have purchased—today, in the past and projected for the near future. Finally, the paper explains how the data in the first two sections led to the National Broadband Plan’s National Broadband Availability Target..."

Renewable Energy Trends in Consumption and Electricity 2008
"The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports detailed historical data on
renewable energy consumption and electricity annually in its report, the Renewable
Energy Annual. This report, Renewable Energy Trends in Consumption and Electricity,
2008, provides an overview and tables with historical data spanning as far back as 1989
through 2008, including revisions. These tables correspond to similar tables to be
presented in chapter 1 of the Renewable Energy Annual 2008 and are numbered
accordingly.

The renewable energy resources in the report include: biomass (wood and derived fuels,
municipal solid waste (MSW) biogenic, landfill gas, ethanol, biodiesel and other
biomass); geothermal; wind; solar (solar thermal and photovoltaic); and conventional
hydropower. Hydroelectric pumped storage is excluded, because it is usually based on
non-renewable energy sources..."

U.S. EPA to Establish Nation’s Largest Coastal No-Sewage Zone/ EPA to sign rule preventing large ships from discharging 20 million gallons of sewage along California’s 1,624 mile coastline
"U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld will today announce details of the Agency’s proposal to ban all sewage discharges from large cruise ships and most other large ocean-going ships to the marine waters along California’s entire coastline. This will establish the largest coastal ‘No Discharge Zone’ in the United States and is expected to eliminate millions of gallons of sewage that large ships discharge every year into local waters.
“California’s coastal waters are a unique national treasure. The clear waters of the Pacific are central to California’s economic and ecological vitality. Stopping 20 million gallons of sewage from entering California’s coastal waters and bays protects people and wildlife from dangerous pathogens,” said Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld.

This action will strengthen protection for 5,222 square miles of California’s ports and coastal waters, extending from the border with Mexico to Oregon and the waters surrounding major islands. Today’s action proposes a new federal regulation to establish the sewage discharge ban..."

National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage among Adolescents Aged 13--17 Years --- United States, 2009
"The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that adolescents routinely receive the following vaccines: meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY, 1 dose); tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap, 1 dose); and (for females) human papillomavirus (HPV, 3 doses) (1). Adolescents also should receive the following recommended vaccinations they missed during childhood: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR, 2 doses); hepatitis B (HepB, 3 doses); and varicella (VAR, 2 doses) (1). Since 2006, CDC has conducted the National Immunization Survey--Teen (NIS-Teen) to estimate vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13--17 years. This report summarizes results from 2009 NIS-Teen and updates data from 2008 NIS-Teen (2). Comparing 2009 with 2008, vaccination coverage among adolescents for the three routinely administered adolescent vaccines increased for Tdap (from 40.8% to 55.6%), MenACWY (from 41.8% to 53.6%), ≥1 dose of HPV (from 37.2% to 44.3%), and ≥3 doses of HPV (from 17.9% to 26.7%). Vaccination coverage varied widely among states; four states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island) had coverage of >60% for all three of the routinely administered adolescent vaccines (Tdap, MenACWY, and HPV). Nationally, Healthy People 2010 vaccination objectives of 90% coverage among adolescents aged 13--15 years were met for ≥3 doses of HepB and ≥1 dose of VAR. Coverage with routine adolescent vaccines is increasing; however, more effort, including identification and dissemination of successful state-based practices, is needed to continue to increase the number of adolescents vaccinated according to ACIP recommendations..."

EPA Releases Draft Strategy for Clean Water
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting the public to comment on the agency’s draft strategy to protect and restore our nation’s lakes, streams and coastal waters. The strategy, “Coming Together for Clean Water: EPA’s Strategy for Achieving Clean Water,” is designed to chart EPA’s path in furthering EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s key priority of protecting America’s waters.

The strategy was developed by considering the input and ideas generated at the April “Coming Together for Clean Water” forum as well as comments received through the online discussion forum. Participants shared their perspectives on how to advance the EPA’s clean water agenda focusing on the agency’s two priority areas: healthy watersheds and sustainable communities. EPA is now inviting the public to consider and provide their comments on the approaches outlined in the strategy..."

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Releases Plan to Improve Nation’s Vaccine Response Against Pandemic Influenza and Other Outbreaks
"Targeted Federal investments in five key areas could shorten by weeks or months the time needed to produce enough vaccine doses to protect the entire Nation in the event of another outbreak of pandemic flu—an advance that could save thousands of lives—according to a new report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Vaccine Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza, released today, provides a roadmap that, within one to three years, could significantly increase the Nation’s ability to produce vaccines in a timely fashion. The recommended improvements would speed production of not only vaccines for influenza but also an array of other medical countermeasures against infectious diseases that could erupt naturally or occur as a result of a biological attack..."

THE BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: AN UPDATE
"he Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the federal budget deficit for 2010 will exceed $1.3 trillion—$71 billion below last year's total and $27 billion lower than the amount that CBO projected in March 2010, when it issued its previous estimate. Relative to the size of the economy, this year's deficit is expected to be the second largest shortfall in the past 65 years: At 9.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), it is exceeded only by last year's deficit of 9.9 percent of GDP. As was the case last year, this year's deficit is attributable in large part to a combination of weak revenues and elevated spending associated with the economic downturn and the policies implemented in response to it..."

Vice President Biden Releases Report on Recovery Act Impact on Innovation
"Vice President Joe Biden today unveiled a new report, “The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation,” which finds that the Recovery Act’s $100 billion investment in innovation is not only transforming the economy and creating new jobs, but helping accelerate significant advances in science and technology that cut costs for consumers, save lives and help keep America competitive in the 21st century economy. The report can be viewed in full HERE.

“From the beginning, we have been a nation of discovery and innovation – and today we continue in that tradition as Recovery Act investments pave the way for game-changing breakthroughs in transportation, energy and medical research,” said Vice President Biden. “We’re planting the seeds of innovation, but private companies and the nation’s top researchers are helping them grow, launching entire new industries, transforming our economy and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the process.”

According to this new analysis, the U.S. is now on-track to achieve four major innovation breakthroughs thanks to Recovery Act investments:

Cutting the cost of solar power in half by 2015, putting it on par with the cost of retail electricity from the grid.
Cutting the cost of batteries for electric vehicles by 70 percent between 2009 and 2015, putting the lifetime cost of an electric vehicle on-par with that of its non-electric counterpart.
Doubling U.S. renewable energy generation capacity and U.S. renewable manufacturing capacity by 2012, a breakthrough that would not be possible without the Recovery Act.
Bringing the cost of a personal human genome map to under $1,000 in five years, allowing researchers to sequence 50 human genomes for the same cost as sequencing just one today..."

New Credit Rules Effective August 22, 2010
"More new rules from the Federal Reserve mean more new credit card protections for you. Here are some key changes you should expect from your credit card company beginning on August 22, 2010:

Reasonable penalty fees

Let's say you are late making your minimum payment.

Today: Your late payment fee may be as high as $39, and you likely pay the same fee whether you are late with a $20 minimum payment or a $100 minimum payment.
Under the new rules: Your credit card company cannot charge you a fee of more than $25 unless:
One of your last six payments was late, in which case your fee may be up to $35; or
Your credit card company can show that the costs it incurs as a result of late payments justify a higher fee.
In addition, your credit card company cannot charge a late payment fee that is greater than your minimum payment. So, if your minimum payment is $20, your late payment fee can't be more than $20. Similarly, if you exceed your credit limit by $5, you can't be charged an over-the-limit fee of more than $5..."

Recall of Shell Eggs
"An outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) that has sickened hundreds of people across the country has led to a recall of shell eggs. On August 13, Wright County Egg voluntarily conducted a nationwide recall of shell eggs on 3 of its 5 farms. Further epidemiologic and traceback information led to Wright County Egg expanding its recall on August 18 to cover all 5 farms and 380 million eggs (according to company figures). The FDA is monitoring the recall, including conducting audit checks at retail stores, wholesalers, and distributors to make sure the recalled shell eggs are being removed from the market. The FDA is in ongoing communications with Wright County Egg to ensure that appropriate preventive measures are put in place to reduce the risk of recurrence.



Which Egg Brands Have Been Recalled?
How to Identify Recalled Eggs
Shell Egg Recall: Company Press Releases.."

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2009:Preliminary
"A preliminary total of 4,340 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2009, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. The 2009 total represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first conducted in 1992. Based on this preliminary count, the rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2009 was 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, down from a final rate of 3.7 in 2008. Counts and rates are likely to increase with the release of final 2009 CFOI results in April 2011. Over the last 2 years, increases in the published counts based on information received after the publication of preliminary results have averaged 156 fatalities per year or about 3 percent of the revised totals..."

Annual Energy Review, 2009
"The Annual Energy Review (AER) is the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s primary report of historical annual energy statistics. For many series, data begin with the year 1949. Included are data on total energy production, consumption, and trade; overviews of petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, renewable energy, international energy, as well as financial and environmental indicators; and data unit conversion tables. The report is also released in print..."

Investigation Update: Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Associated with Shell Eggs
"CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to investigate a nationwide increase of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections with an indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern JEGX01.0004. This is the most common PFGE pattern for SE in the PulseNet database. Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. Because the outbreak PFGE pattern (outbreak strain) commonly occurs in the U.S., some of the cases identified with this outbreak strain may not be related to this outbreak..."

DOD Releases Final Fort Hood Review
"The Department of Defense (DoD) released today the final review of the recommendations from the independent report “Protecting the Force: Lessons Learned from Fort Hood.”

The DoD will place a high priority on implementing recommendations that will strengthen policies, programs and procedures in the following areas:

Educating commanders about the symptoms of potential workplace violence and the tools available to them to address it;

Ensuring commander and supervisor access to appropriate information in personnel records throughout a service member’s career;

Improving law enforcement and force protection information sharing with partner agencies and among installations to ensure that all relevant personnel are aware of and able to analyze and respond to potential threats;

Expanding installations’ emergency response capabilities, to include enabling enhanced 911 to notify dispatchers of a caller’s location, mass notification and warning systems to guide installation personnel and emergency responders to an emergency, and a common operating picture to ensure that emergency responders have access to real-time information in a crisis;

Integrating force protection policy through the creation of a consultative and policy-making body which will bring together the various entities across the department with force protection responsibilities; and

Ensuring that we provide top quality health care to our service-members and our healthcare providers though the hiring of additional healthcare providers - particularly in the mental health field - and ensuring that healthcare providers receive appropriate post-deployment respite and dwell time.

The tragic shooting of military personnel at Fort Hood in November 2009 underscored the need for the DoD to review its approach to force protection and to broaden its force protection policies, programs, and procedures to go beyond their traditional focus on hostile external threats. The follow-on review final report recommends concrete actions across a range of issues that all contribute to the safety and health of our military forces..."

Health Care Spending: 1998, 2003, and 2008
"How have rising health care costs affected household budgets? That question was raised many times before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, whose goal—as the act’s name implies—is to make health care more affordable for American families.[1] This analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) data from the 1998, 2003, and 2008 Interview Surveys provides a picture of nominal out-of-pocket health care spending among households categorized by the age of the reference person.[2] The expenses analyzed were total health care and its components: health insurance, medical services, prescription drugs, and medical supplies. Among the findings are the following:

Among households nationwide with medical expenses, the mean share of a household’s total budget spent on health care was higher in 2003 than in 1998 and was virtually unchanged in 2008 compared with 2003.
Households’ spending changed over the decade. In 2008, the mean share of medical expenses that was spent on health insurance was higher than in 1998, and the share spent on medical services was lower.
Households whose reference person was 65 or older spent about twice as much of their budget on health care compared with the national average in all years studied.

For each year examined, the sample used for the study consisted of consumer units[3] who reported positive health care spending (net of any reimbursements) during an interview. This was done in order to focus solely on households with medical expenditures. Expenditure and income estimates presented for the collection year are annual estimates..."

Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance
"The U.S. program of assistance to Afghanistan is intended to stabilize and strengthen the Afghan
economic, social, political, and security environment so as to blunt popular support for extremist
forces in the region. Since 2001, nearly $48 billion has been appropriated toward this effort.

More than half of U.S. assistance—roughly 57%—has gone to the training and equipping of
Afghan forces. The remainder has gone to development and humanitarian-related activities from
infrastructure to private sector support, governance and democratization efforts, and counternarcotics programs.

Key U.S. agencies providing aid are the Department of Defense, the Agency for International
Development, and the Department of State..."

Intelligence Reform After Five Years: The Role of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
"The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-458) was the most
significant legislation affecting the U.S. intelligence community since the National Security Act
of 1947. Enacted in the wake of the 9/11 Commission’s final report, the 2004 act attempted to
ensure closer coordination among intelligence agencies especially in regard to counterterrorism
efforts. Most notably, the Intelligence Reform Act established the position of Director of National
Intelligence (DNI) with more extensive authorities to coordinate the nation’s intelligence effort
than those formerly possessed by Directors of Central Intelligence. The DNI speaks for U.S.
intelligence, he briefs the President, has authority to develop the budget for the national
intelligence effort and manage appropriations made by Congress, and, to some extent, can
transfer personnel and funds from one agency to another. The Office of the DNI (ODNI), a staff
of some 1,600 officials along with additional contract personnel, works to carry out the DNI’s
responsibilities..."

CONSUMER ALERT: EPA Advises Care When Selecting Pesticides for Bedbug Control
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to alert consumers that there has been an increase of individuals or companies who offer to control bedbugs with unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost. Because bed bug infestations are so difficult to control, there have been situations where pesticides that are not intended for indoor residential applications have been improperly used or applied at greater rates than the label allows. While controlling bedbugs is challenging, consumers should never use, or allow anyone else to use, a pesticide indoors that is intended for outdoor use, as indicated on the label. Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat for bedbugs can make you, your family, and your pets sick. It can also make your home unsafe to live in – and may not solve the bedbug problem.

Bedbugs can cause itchy bites on people and pets. Unlike most public-health pests, however, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread diseases. Pesticides are only one tool to use in getting rid of bedbugs. A comprehensive approach that includes prevention and non-chemical treatment of infestations is the best way to avoid or eliminate a bedbug problem. While more information can be found on EPA’s website, a few examples of non-chemical methods of control include:
• Removing clutter where bedbugs can hide
• Using mattress covers designed to contain bedbugs
• Sealing cracks and crevices
• Vacuuming rugs, and upholstered furniture thoroughly and frequently, as well as vacuuming under beds (take the vacuum bag outside immediately and dispose in a sealed trash bag)
• Washing and drying clothing and bed sheets at high temperatures (heat can kill bedbugs)
• Placing clean clothes in sealable plastic bags when possible
• Being alert and monitoring for bedbugs so they can be treated before a major infestation occurs..."

Army Sustainability Report Highlights Energy and Environmental Achievements
"The Department of the Army announced today that it has released its second Annual Sustainability Report highlighting energy and environmental achievements and milestones supporting the Army’s sustainability concept and goals.

The annual sustainability report informs primary stakeholders, partners, the American people, and other interested parties on the Army’s progress to embody the principles of sustainability in its operations and installation management.

“Army leadership has come to understand the potential for sustainability to strengthen national security. What had previously yielded benefit through environmental initiatives is emerging as an important tool for countering the destabilizing effects of emerging challenges from competition over limited and diminishing resources, as well as population movements, pandemics and other climate change-related events,” said Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal, who serves as both the Army’s senior sustainability official and chief management officer.

Throughout the Army, efforts are underway to further recognize sustainability as an organizing principle. Army sustainability results from aligning the Army’s mission with environmental stewardship and community well being, plus the economic benefit accrued from reduced waste and increased efficiency.

Twenty-eight Army installations have undergone integrated strategic and sustainability planning which requires long-term sustainability plans and goals to meet future mission and community needs. All new Army construction since fiscal 2008 has been required to be designed to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver minimum standard. Further, efforts are underway to ensure that all new Army acquisition programs include the fully burdened cost of energy in the selection process to maximize the productivity of energy needed to meet our operational capabilities..."

FDA approves ella™ tablets for prescription emergency contraception
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved ella™ (ulipristal acetate) tablets for emergency contraception. The prescription-only product prevents pregnancy when taken orally within 120 hours (five days) after a contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse. It is not intended for routine use as a contraceptive.

ella is a progesterone agonist/antagonist whose likely main effect is to inhibit or delay ovulation. Since May 2009, the prescription product has been available in Europe under the brand name ellaOne.

An FDA Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs discussed ella in June, 2010. The committee unanimously voted that the application for ella provided compelling data on efficacy and sufficient information on safety for the proposed indication of emergency contraception.

The safety and efficacy of ella were demonstrated in two Phase III clinical trials. One study was a prospective, multi-center, open-label, single-arm trial conducted in the United States; the other was a randomized, multi-center, single-blind comparator-controlled trial conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland..."

Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit
"The U.S. merchandise trade deficit is a part of the overall U.S. balance of payments, a summary
statement of all economic transactions between the residents of the United States and the rest of
the world, during a given period of time. Some Members of Congress and other observers have
grown concerned over the magnitude of the U.S. merchandise trade deficit and the associated
increase in U.S. dollar-denominated assets owned by foreigners. The recent slowdown in global
economic activity has reduced global trade flows and, consequently, reduced the size of the U.S.
trade deficit. This report provides an overview of the U.S. balance of payments, an explanation of
the broader role of capital flows in the U.S. economy, an explanation of how the country finances
its trade deficit or a trade surplus, and the implications for Congress and the country of the large
inflows of capital from abroad..."

What You Need to Know: New Rules for Mortgage Transfers
"The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced final rules to implement a statutory amendment to the Truth in Lending Act requiring that consumers receive notice when their mortgage loan has been sold or transferred. The new disclosure requirement became effective in May 2009, upon enactment of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. Under that act, a purchaser or assignee that acquires a mortgage loan must provide the required disclosures in writing within 30 days.

To provide compliance guidance and greater certainty on the new requirements, the Board published interim rules in November 2009, which were effective immediately. To allow covered parties time to make any necessary operational changes, they may continue to follow the November 2009 interim rules until the mandatory compliance date for the final rules, which is January 1, 2011.*

Consumers can learn more about mortgage transfer disclosures by accessing a new online publication, "What You Need to Know: New Rules for Mortgage Transfers." It explains what consumers can expect from their mortgage lenders regarding notification of mortgage transfers..."

New Federal Reserve Mortgage Borrowers Rules
"The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced final rules to protect mortgage borrowers from unfair, abusive, or deceptive lending practices that can arise from loan originator compensation practices. The new rules apply to mortgage brokers and the companies that employ them, as well as mortgage loan officers employed by depository institutions and other lenders.

Today, lenders commonly pay loan originators more compensation if the borrower accepts an interest rate higher than the rate required by the lender (commonly referred to as a "yield spread premium"). Under the final rule, however, a loan originator may not receive compensation that is based on the interest rate or other loan terms. This will prevent loan originators from increasing their own compensation by raising the consumers' loan costs, such as by increasing the interest rate or points. Loan originators can continue to receive compensation that is based on a percentage of the loan amount, which is a common practice..."

FTC Proposes Changes to Update and Improve Credit Reporting Notices
"The Federal Trade Commission is proposing revisions to the notices that consumer reporting agencies provide to consumers, and to users and furnishers of credit report information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires the FTC to publish model notices for several forms that must be provided by consumer reporting agencies. The proposed changes are designed to reflect new rules that the FTC and other financial regulators have enacted under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, and to make the notices more useful and easier to understand.

In addition to revising the general Summary of Rights notice, which informs consumers about their FCRA rights, such as how to obtain a free credit report and dispute inaccurate information in credit reports, the FTC also is proposing improvements to the notices that credit reporting agencies provide to users and furnishers of credit report information. The User Notice and Furnisher Notice inform users and furnishers of their obligation to provide certain protections to consumers. The model notices were originally issued in 1997 and revised in 2004. The FTC is accepting public comments on the proposed changes until September 21, 2010. The Commission vote authorizing the Federal Register notice was 5-0. (The staff contact is Pavneet Singh, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2252.).."

Strength in Numbers: Your Guide to 2010 Census Redistricting Data from the U.S. Census Bureau
"Once every 10 years, Americans stand up to be counted. Downtown and out-of-town, in the mountains and on the farms, we speak up and let our governments know that we intend to be represented in the decisions that they make.

The census gives us an opportunity to be part of the democratic process. Census numbers ensure that our representative districts—for the U.S. Congress and for state legislatures, and in our city and town governments—reflect our numbers, north or south, east or west.

This brochure explains where census numbers come from and the role those numbers have in the way states and localities redraw the boundaries of their legislative districts. The information here looks in particular at the maps and numbers that state governments and others get from the Census Bureau and use in redistricting..."

Project BioShield: Authorities, Appropriations, Acquisitions, and Issues for Congress
"Many potential chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism agents lack available medical countermeasures. In 2003, President Bush proposed Project BioShield to address this need. The Project BioShield Act became law in July 2004 (P.L. 108-276).

This law has three main provisions: (1) relaxing regulatory requirements for some CBRN terrorism-related spending, including hiring personnel and awarding research grants; guaranteeing a federal government market for new CBRN medical countermeasures; and permitting emergency use of unapproved countermeasures. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has used each of these authorities. The HHS used expedited review authorities to approve contracts and grants related to CBRN countermeasure research and development. The HHS used the authority to guarantee a government market to obligate approximately $2 billion to acquire countermeasures against anthrax, botulism, radiation, and smallpox. The HHS has also employed the emergency use authority several times, including allowing young children with H1N1 “swine” influenza to receive specific antiviral drugs..."

FTC Halts Cross Border Domain Name Registration Scam
"The Federal Trade Commission has permanently halted the operations of Canadian con artists who allegedly posed as domain name registrars and convinced thousands of U.S. consumers, small businesses and non-profit organizations to pay bogus bills by leading them to believe they would lose their Web site addresses unless they paid. Settlement and default judgment orders signed by the court will bar the deceptive practices in the future.

In June 2008, the FTC charged Toronto-based Internet Listing Service with sending fake invoices to small businesses and others, listing the existing domain name of the consumer’s Web site or a slight variation on the domain name, such as substituting “.org” for “.com.” The invoices appeared to come from the businesses’ existing domain name registrar and instructed them to pay for an annual “WEBSITE ADDRESS LISTING.” The invoices also claimed to include a search engine optimization service. Most consumers who received the “invoices” were led to believe that they had to pay them to maintain their registrations of domain names. Other consumers were induced to pay based on Internet Listing Service’s claims that its “Search Optimization” service would “direct mass traffic” to their sites and that their “proven search engine listing service” would result in “a substantial increase in traffic.”..."

Personal Income for Metropolitan Areas, 2009
"Personal income declined in 2009 in most of the nation's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income declined in 223 MSAs, increased in 134, and remained unchanged in 9 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income fell 1.8 percent in 2009, after rising 2.7 percent in 2008. Personal income growth ranged from 14 percent in Jacksonville, North Carolina to -7.1 percent in Naples, Florida. Inflation, as measured by the national price index for personal consumption expenditures, declined to 0.2 percent in 2009 from 3.3 percent in 2008."

FDA warns of Salmonella risk from frozen rodents fed to reptiles
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. and international customers who may have purchased frozen mice from Biggers and Callaham LLC, doing business as MiceDirect, that these products, which are used as food for reptiles, have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Because children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk for salmonellosis, they should avoid handling either frozen rodents used as reptile food or reptiles. Children 5 years and under should not handle either frozen rodents used as reptile food or reptiles themselves.

After handling either frozen rodents used as reptile food or the reptiles, individuals should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water and use a disinfectant to thoroughly clean any surfaces that have been in contact with frozen rodents.

The FDA is actively investigating positive Salmonella findings in frozen mice and environmental samples taken at the company’s Cleveland, Ga. plant. After it was informed of the positive samples, Biggers and Callaham voluntarily recalled all frozen mice, rats and chicks purchased between May 2009 and July 23, 2010. The frozen reptile feed was distributed in all states, except Hawaii, through pet stores and by mail order and direct delivery..."

Births: Final Data for 2007
"In 2007, 4,316,233 births were registered in the United States, 1 percent more than in 2006, and the highest number of births ever reported. Births increased for all race and Hispanic origin groups. Preliminary data for 2008, however, show a decline in births from 2007.
The 2007 general fertility rate was 69.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, 1 percent more than in 2006, and the highest rate reported since 1990. Preliminary data indicate a decline in the general fertility rate for 2008..."

Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results from the 2008-09 Teacher Follow-up Survey
"This First Look report provides some selected findings from the 2008-09 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) along with data tables and methodological information. The TFS is a follow-up of a sample of the elementary and secondary school teachers who participated in the previous year’s Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). The TFS sample includes teachers who leave teaching in the year after the SASS data collection and those who continue to teach either in the same school as last year or in a different school. The purpose of the Teacher Follow-up Survey is to determine how many teachers remained at the same school, moved to another school or left the profession in the year following the SASS administration."

Immunization Schedules
Find information on the CDC's recommended immunizations by age group.

Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory’s Forensic DNA Case Backlog
"...The FBI Laboratory’s backlog in analyzing and uploading convicted offender samples is mainly caused by recent federal legislation that expanded the scope of DNA sample collection from violent convicted federal offenders to include anyone who commits a federal offense as well as non-U.S. citizens who are detained in the United States.2 State and local forensic laboratories are also experiencing backlogs in analyzing and uploading convicted offender DNA samples. Among other measures, the backlogs at the state and local level have prompted the federal government to initiate grant programs to reduce the number of backlogged convicted offender samples nationwide. According to the FBI, at its height in 2009, the convicted offender sample backlog contained over 300,000 samples.

Legislation that expanded the scope of DNA collection includes the 2001 U.S. Patriot Act, which added qualifying offenses to the collection of DNA samples from convicted offenders; The Justice for All Act of 2004, which expanded the offenses for convicted offenders to include any federal offense; and The DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005, which directed that the Attorney General may collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested or from non-United States persons who are detained under the authority of the United States. 3 For example, the Department of Justice’s Convicted Offender DNA Backlog Reduction Program provided $32 million in grant funding from fiscal years 2005 to 2009 to help states reduce the backlog of convicted offender DNA samples. According to the FBI, the number of convicted offender samples received rose from 7,833 in 2004, to 73,635 in 2005, to 99,215 in 2006, to 75,294 in 2007, to 76,932 in 2008, and 96,973 in 2009. Despite the increase in the number of convicted offender samples that are collected, the FBI Laboratory has reduced the size of its convicted offender backlog by implementing automated processes to analyze the samples. In addition, the FBI stated that it was able to reduce the backlog by shifting between 5 and 9 casework positions to address the skyrocketing convicted offender demand. As a result, the FBI Laboratory anticipates eliminating the convicted offender backlog completely by September 2010..."

The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention
"...This Report attempts to marshal a massive amount of information about the nature of the child exploitation problem and the significant efforts being undertaken by federal, state, and local agencies to address this epidemic. To evaluate the extent and forms of child exploitation, between approximately February 2009 and February 2010, the National Drug Intelligence Center (“NDIC”) prepared a threat assessment (the “Threat Assessment” or “Assessment”) that is summarized in this Report. In conducting the Threat Assessment, NDIC interviewed over a hundred prosecutors, investigators, and other experts in the field, conducted interviews to collect information, reviewed thousands of pages of documents from investigations, cases, relevant research, and analyzed data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In addition to conducting the Threat Assessment, the Department and the Library of Congress have gathered and reviewed an extensive amount of studies and research relevant to the field of child exploitation to help inform the Department and its partners of the most recent information available from academia on this subject..."

MyFood-a-pedia
Find caloric count and MyPyramid food group for individual foods.

Vital Signs: State-Specific Obesity Prevalence Among Adults --- United States, 2009
"Background: Obesity is a costly condition that can reduce quality of life and increases the risk for many serious chronic diseases and premature death. The U.S. Surgeon General issued the Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity in 2001, and in 2007, no state had met the Healthy People 2010 objective to reduce obesity prevalence among adults to 15%.

Methods: CDC used 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data to update estimates of national and state-specific obesity prevalence. Obesity was calculated based on self-reported weight and height and defined as body mass index (weight [kg] / height [m]2) ≥30.

Results: Overall self-reported obesity prevalence in the United States was 26.7%. Non-Hispanic blacks (36.8%), Hispanics (30.7%), those who did not graduate from high school (32.9%), and persons aged 50--59 years (31.1%) and 60--69 years (30.9%) were disproportionally affected. By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 18.6% in Colorado to 34.4% in Mississippi; only Colorado and the District of Columbia (19.7%) had prevalences of <20%; nine states had prevalences of ≥30%.

Conclusions: In 2009, no state met the Healthy People 2010 obesity target of 15%, and the self-reported overall prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults had increased 1.1 percentage points from 2007..."

Healthcare Inspection: Primary Care Services for Women Veterans:Accessibility and Acknowledgement of Test Results
"Ensuring that women veterans receive comprehensive primary care services is a
fundamental goal for Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This review evaluated the
accessibility and acknowledgment of results of gender-specific tests provided at VHA
facilities or through fee basis arrangements.

We identified women veterans who had one of the following tests completed at VHA
facilities: Pap smears, bone mineral densitometry, and mammography. We also
identified women veterans who underwent mammography outside of VHA facilities
through fee basis arrangements.

During October 1 – December 31, 2008, 19,893 women veterans had at least one
outpatient visit at which one of the specified tests was performed. Medical records from
each of the defined populations of tested patients were randomly selected for review..."

Country Reports on Terrorism, 2009

Country Reports on Terrorism, 2009
"U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. This annual report is entitled Country Reports on Terrorism. Beginning with the report for 2004, it replaced the previously published Patterns of Global Terrorism.."

EPA Announces Nation’s Top 50 Green Power Organizations
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the 50 green power partners using the most renewable electricity. The Green Power Partnership’s top purchasers use more than 12 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electricity use of more than 1 million average American homes. Green Power helps to prevent emissions from conventional power sources that are linked to harmful air pollution and climate change.

The top 10 on the list are Intel Corporation, Kohl’s Department Stores, Whole Foods Market, City of Houston, Dell Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cisco Systems, Inc., commonwealth of Pennsylvania, U.S. Air Force, and the city of Dallas.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no net increase to greenhouse gas emissions. Purchases of green power also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide..."

Facts and Figures on Drawdown in Iraq
"Troops and Change of Mission

When President Obama took office in January 2009, there were 144,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. At his Camp Lejeune speech on February 27, 2009, President Obama announced that the United States would end its combat mission on August 31, 2010, and retain a transitional force of up to 50,000 U.S. troops to train and advise Iraqi Security Forces; conduct partnered and targeted counter-terrorism operations; and protect ongoing U.S. civilian and military efforts.

- By January 2010, there were 112,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. By the end of May 2010, that number had been reduced to 88,000. General Odierno made the decision in May 2010 that positive developments in the security sector permitted the drawdown to go forward as planned. The final tranche of the drawdown to reach the President’s commitment to end combat operations began in earnest in June 2010. By the end of August 2010, the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be further reduced to 50,000. On August 31, Operation Iraqi Freedom will end. The transitional mission will be called Operation New Dawn. Consistent with our agreements with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

- There are currently 665,000 Iraqi Security Forces who have been leading the effort to secure Iraq since June 2009, when U.S. troops repositioned outside of Iraqi cities. Even as terrorists have sought to exploit the period of government formation that has followed Iraq’s successful election, security incidents remain near the lowest level since we’ve been keeping records. Since the beginning of this year, the U.S. and Iraqi military partnership has resulted in the death or arrest of more than 30 members of the top leadership of al-Qai’da in Iraq.

- The reduction in troops does not mean a reduction in the U.S. commitment to Iraq – it means a change in the nature of our commitment from one led by the military to one that is civilian-led. The transitional force that we will have in place can continue to support Iraqi Security Forces. And we will strengthen the U.S. and Iraqi partnership in fields such as education, the rule of law, trade and technology. To guide the expansion of our relationship, the United States and Iraq signed a Strategic Framework Agreement, which specifies areas for dialogue, exchanges, links, and the transfer of expertise..."

Federal Science Report Details Fate of Oil from BP Spill
"The vast majority of the oil from the BP oil spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed much of which is in the process of being degraded. A significant amount of this is the direct result of the robust federal response efforts.

A third (33 percent) of the total amount of oil released in the Deepwater Horizon/BP spill was captured or mitigated by the Unified Command recovery operations, including burning, skimming, chemical dispersion and direct recovery from the wellhead, according to a federal science report released today.

An additional 25 percent of the total oil naturally evaporated or dissolved, and 16 percent was dispersed naturally into microscopic droplets. The residual amount, just over one quarter (26 percent), is either on or just below the surface as residue and weathered tarballs, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments. Dispersed and residual oil remain in the system until they degrade through a number of natural processes. Early indications are that the oil is degrading quickly..."

REBUILDING THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY
"When President Obama took office, the American auto industry was on the brink of collapse. The President made a difficult decision to provide support to General Motors (GM) and Chrysler on the condition that all stakeholders make the sacrifices necessary to fundamentally restructure these companies and put them on a path to viability. This summer, there are growing signs of a revival in the American auto industry: plants are adding shifts and hiring workers; manufacturers are returning to profitability; the auto supply industry has stabilized; and exports of U.S. vehicles are increasing. In addition, the Administration has made an historic set of investments designed to
position America as a leader in the global race to produce the advanced vehicles of the 21st century. Advanced technology vehicles are appearing in showrooms, new factories are breaking ground to manufacture and assemble electric vehicles, and innovations once at risk of being scrapped, are now being designed and made in America..."

FTC Issues Final Rule to Protect Consumers in Credit Card Debt
"Amendments to Telemarketing Sales Rule Prohibiting Debt Relief Companies From Collecting Advance Fees Will Take Effect in October 2010
Starting on October 27, 2010, for-profit companies that sell debt relief services over the telephone may no longer charge a fee before they settle or reduce a customer’s credit card or other unsecured debt.

“At the FTC we strive every day to make sure America’s middle class families get straight deals for their dollars,” Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. “This rule will stop companies who offer consumers false promises of reducing credit card debts by half or more in exchange for large, up-front fees. Too many of these companies pick the last dollar out of consumers’ pockets – and far from leaving them better off, push them deeper into debt, even bankruptcy.”

Three other Telemarketing Sales Rule provisions to take effect on September 27, 2010, will:

require debt relief companies to make specific disclosures to consumers;
prohibit them from making misrepresentations; an
extend the Telemarketing Sales Rule to cover calls consumers make to these firms in response to debt relief advertising..."

EPA Report: 22 Million Cataract Cases Will Be Prevented by Stronger Ozone Layer Protection
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency marked the beginning of Cataract Awareness Month by announcing a new peer-reviewed report predicting that more than 22 million additional cataract cases will be avoided for Americans born between 1985 and 2100 due to the Montreal Protocol. The environmental treaty, signed by 196 countries, was designed to reduce and eventually eliminate ozone depleting substances. Too much UV radiation not only increases the risk for skin cancer, but also increases the risk for cataracts -- a clouding of the eye’s lens that affects more than 20 million Americans age 40 and older.

“Since the 1970s, we have prevented millions of skin cancer cases and deaths through our work protecting the ozone layer,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “I am excited to kick off Cataract Awareness Month by announcing that the science has now enabled us to estimate our impact on cataracts.”

Due to the success of the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer is predicted to recover to pre-1980 levels after 2065. In the meantime, under a compromised ozone layer, more ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaches the Earth’s surface. While treatment for cataracts is widely available in the U.S., the costs are high, with direct medical costs estimated to be $6.8 billion per year..."

EPA Releases First Round of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released peer reviewed results from the first round of its own independent toxicity testing on eight oil dispersants. EPA conducted testing to ensure that decisions about ongoing dispersant use in the Gulf of Mexico continue to be grounded in the best available science.

EPA’s results indicated that none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity. While the dispersant products alone – not mixed with oil - have roughly the same impact on aquatic life, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 were generally less toxic to small fish and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were least toxic to mysid shrimp. While this is important information to have, additional testing is needed to further inform the use of dispersants.

"EPA is performing independent tests to determine the potential impacts of various dispersants. We will continue to conduct additional research before providing a final recommendation, " said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We want to ensure that every tool is available to mitigate the impact of the BP spill and protect our fragile wetlands. But we continue to direct BP to use dispersants responsibly and in as limited an amount as possible.".."

OCCUPATIONAL PAY COMPARISONS AMONG METROPOLITAN AREAS, 2009
"Average pay for civilian workers in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA metropolitan area was 20 percent above the national average in 2009, one of 77 metropolitan areas studied by the National Compensation Survey (NCS), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan area had a pay relative of 79, meaning workers earned an average of 79 cents for every dollar earned by workers nationwide. Using data from the NCS, pay relatives—a means of assessing pay differences—are available for each of the nine major occupational groups within surveyed metropolitan areas, as well as averaged across all occupations for each area. The average pay relative nationally for all occupations and for each occupational group equals 100. (See table 1.)

A pay relative is a calculation of pay—wages, salaries, commissions, and production bonuses—for a
given metropolitan area relative to the nation as a whole. The calculation controls for differences among areas in occupational composition, establishment and occupational characteristics, and the fact that data are collected for areas at different times during the year. Simple pay comparisons calculating the ratio of the average pay for an area to the entire United States in percentage terms would not control for interarea differences in occupational composition and other factors, which may impact pay relatives... "

FACT SHEET: Executive Order on Optimizing the Security of Biological Select Agents and Toxins in the United States
"Today, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order that directs fundamental changes to the way highly hazardous pathogens and toxins in the United States are secured against misuse. Research on such so-called Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT) is critical for the development and availability of public health and medical tools that are needed to detect, diagnose, recognize, and respond to outbreaks of infectious disease of both natural and deliberate origin. At the same time, the expansion since 2001 of infrastructure and resources dedicated to work with BSAT – coupled with the revelation that the perpetrator of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) attacks likely was a United States Government researcher – have raised concerns regarding the need to ensure BSAT are properly secured against those who would deliberately misuse them to harm people, animals, plants, or the environment.

To address these concerns, the Administration led a review of Federal policies and procedures associated with the security of BSAT. This review – informed by a number of studies performed by experts in the United States Government, academia, and the private sector – highlighted the need for significant improvements in the structure, coordination, and oversight of these activities across the Federal government. Importantly, the review concluded that as part of these improvements, Federal activities for securing BSAT should be more fully consolidated under a revised Select Agent Program/Select Agent Regulations (SAP/SAR) that will continue to be jointly led by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) with key support from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)..."

EPA Proposal Cuts Pollution from Power Plants in 31 States and D.C. / Rule would reduce smog- and soot-forming emissions contributing to unhealthy air
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing regulations to cut air pollution that impairs air quality and harms the health of people living downwind. The regulation will target power plant pollution that drifts across the borders of 31 eastern states and the District of Columbia. Air pollution is linked to thousands of asthma cases and heart attacks, and almost 2 million lost school or work days. Along with local and state air pollution controls, the new proposal, called the transport rule, is designed to help areas in the eastern United States meet existing national air quality health standards.

“This rule is designed to cut pollution that spreads hundreds of miles and has enormous negative impacts on millions of Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to limit pollution at its source, rather than waiting for it to move across the country. The reductions we’re proposing will save billions in health costs, help increase American educational and economic productivity, and -- most importantly -- save lives.”

The transport rule would reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to meet state-by-state emission reductions. By 2014, the rule and other state and EPA actions would reduce SO2 emissions by 71 percent over 2005 levels. NOx emissions would drop by 52 percent..."

EPA Rule Increases Protection from Lead-Paint Poisoning Agency also extends deadline for required training
" Beginning today, all contractors performing renovation, repair or painting work in homes built before 1978 must follow lead-safe work practice requirements. A new EPA rule removes a provision from existing regulations that allowed owner-occupants of pre-1978 homes to “opt-out” of having their contractors follow lead-safe work practices if there were no children under six years of age in the home.

At present, almost a million children have elevated blood lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards, which can lead to lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues. Adults exposed to lead hazards can suffer from high blood pressure and headaches. EPA has eliminated the so-called opt-out provision because improper renovations in older homes can create lead hazards resulting in harmful health effects for residents and visitors in these homes, regardless of age. The result will better protect children and adult occupants during and after renovation, repair and painting projects.

In April 2008, EPA issued the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP), which required the use of lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 homes but included the opt-out provision. EPA’s new rule, effective today, removes the opt-out provision and makes the RRP consistent with statutory requirements..."

2007-08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) Public-use Data File
"The 2007-08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) public-use data file (NCES 2010-368) provides variables related to school safety, including the frequency of school crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school practices related to the prevention and reduction of crime.

The codebook (NCES 2010-334) and survey documentation (NCES 2010-307) are available through the SSOCS web site and in the NCES Publications and Products catalog..."

Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment, 2009
"Annual data on the labor force, employment, and unemployment in States and substate areas are available from two major sources: the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. The CPS is a sample survey of about 60,000 households nationwide conducted for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the Census Bureau. The LAUS program is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor in which State workforce agencies prepare estimates using concepts, definitions, and estimation procedures prescribed by BLS.

This bulletin presents 2009 annual averages from the CPS for census regions and divisions; the 50 States and the District of Columbia; and 54 large metropolitan areas, 22 metropolitan divisions, and 41 principal cities. Data from the CPS differ from the official estimates produced by the individual States through the LAUS program. CPS estimates are provided herein because they are a current source of information on the demographic and economic characteristics of the labor force in subnational areas, from the same source as the official labor force data for the U.S. as a whole..."

THE ROLE OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. LABOR MARKET: AN UPDATE
"People born in other countries are a growing presence in the U.S. labor force. In 1994, 1 in 10 people in the U.S. labor force was born elsewhere, but in 2009, 1 in 7 was foreign born. About 40 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2009 was from Mexico and Central America, and more than 25 percent was from Asia.

This document updates the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) November 2005 paper The Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market. That earlier report included data through 2004; this update, the first of several on various aspects of immigration, incorporates data through 2009. It focuses on the growing number of foreign-born workers, the countries from which they have come, their educational attainment, the types of jobs they hold, and their earnings. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, nonpartisan analysis, this report makes no recommendations..."
View entire report.

HHS Strengthens Health Information Privacy and Security through New Rules
"HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced important new rules and resources to strengthen the privacy of health information and to help all Americans understand their rights and the resources available to safeguard their personal health data. Led by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), HHS is working with public and private partners to ensure that, as we expand the use of health information technology to drive improvements in the quality and effectiveness of our nation’s health care system, Americans can trust that their health information is protected and secure.

“To improve the health of individuals and communities, health information must be available to those making critical decisions, including individuals and their caregivers,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “While health information technology will help America move its health care system forward, the privacy and security of personal health data is at the core of all our work.”

Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, current health information privacy and security rules will now include broader individual rights and stronger protections when third parties handle individually identifiable health information.

The proposed rule announced today would strengthen and expand enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Enforcement Rules by:

expanding individuals’ rights to access their information and to restrict certain types of disclosures of protected health information to health plans.
requiring business associates of HIPAA-covered entities to be under most of the same rules as the covered entities;
setting new limitations on the use and disclosure of protected health information for marketing and fundraising; and
prohibiting the sale of protected health information without patient authorization..."

FEDERAL DEBT AND THE RISK OF A FISCAL CRISIS
"Over the past few years, U.S. government debt held by the public has grown rapidly—to the point that, compared with the total output of the economy, it is now higher than it has ever been except during the period around World War II. The recent increase in debt has been the result of three sets of factors: an imbalance between federal revenues and spending that predates the recession and the recent turmoil in financial markets, sharply lower revenues and elevated spending that derive directly from those economic conditions, and the costs of various federal policies implemented in response to the conditions.

Further increases in federal debt relative to the nation’s output (gross domestic product, or GDP) almost certainly lie ahead if current policies remain in place. The aging of the population and rising costs for health care will push federal spending, measured as a percentage of GDP, well above the levels experienced in recent decades. Unless policymakers restrain the growth of spending, increase revenues significantly as a share of GDP, or adopt some combination of those two approaches, growing budget deficits will cause debt to rise to unsupportable levels..."

Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being
"Today’s older Americans enjoy longer lives and better health than did previous generations.
These and other trends are reported in Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a
unique, comprehensive look at aging in the United States from the Federal Interagency Forum on
Aging-Related Statistics.

Older Americans 2010, the fifth report prepared by the Forum since 2000, provides an updated,
accessible compendium of indicators, drawn from the most reliable official statistics about the
well-being of Americans primarily age 65 and older. The indicators are categorized into five
broad areas—population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.
The 155-page report contains data on 37 key indicators..."

Small Business and Self-employment as Income Mobility Mechanisms
"The contributions of small businesses to the labor market entry, skill training, and wage growth
of youth have been extensively documented in a series of research studies conducted in the mid-
1980s. That research confirmed that small businesses provide most first-time job opportunities
for young labor market entrants. Moreover, the skills and experience provided at those entry jobs
paid off handsomely for the affected youth, as witnessed by their subsequent wage growth.

This study extends the observation period for gauging income growth. Using the same
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) surveys used in earlier studies, this study tracks
employment and income experiences in a later phase of the typical work life. Whereas earlier
studies focused on the first years of labor market entry for youths aged 14-22, this study focuses
on those same workers a decade later. Specifically, this study focuses on young people aged 24-
32 years at the beginning of the observation period (1989). We then track their work history over
the subsequent 15 years (1989-2004)..."

NOAA: Past Decade Warmest on Record According to Scientists in 48 Countries
"The 2009 State of the Climate report released today draws on data for 10 key climate indicators that all point to the same finding: the scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable. More than 300 scientists from 160 research groups in 48 countries contributed to the report, which confirms that the past decade was the warmest on record and that the Earth has been growing warmer over the last 50 years.

Based on comprehensive data from multiple sources, the report defines 10 measurable planet-wide features used to gauge global temperature changes. The relative movement of each of these indicators proves consistent with a warming world. Seven indicators are rising: air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, air temperature over oceans, sea level, ocean heat, humidity and tropospheric temperature in the “active-weather” layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth’s surface. Three indicators are declining: Arctic sea ice, glaciers and spring snow cover in the Northern hemisphere..."

Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010
"This report updates the 2009 recommendations by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of influenza vaccine for the prevention and control of influenza (CDC. Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2009;58[No. RR-8] and CDC. Use of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine---recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP], 2009. MMWR 2009;58:[No. RR-10]). The 2010 influenza recommendations include new and updated information. Highlights of the 2010 recommendations include 1) a recommendation that annual vaccination be administered to all persons aged ≥6 months for the 2010--11 influenza season; 2) a recommendation that children aged 6 months--8 years whose vaccination status is unknown or who have never received seasonal influenza vaccine before (or who received seasonal vaccine for the first time in 2009--10 but received only 1 dose in their first year of vaccination) as well as children who did not receive at least 1 dose of an influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine regardless of previous influenza vaccine history should receive 2 doses of a 2010--11 seasonal influenza vaccine (minimum interval: 4 weeks) during the 2010--11 season; 3) a recommendation that vaccines containing the 2010--11 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like (the same strain as was used for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines), A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens be used; 4) information about Fluzone High-Dose, a newly approved vaccine for persons aged ≥65 years; and 5) information about other standard-dose newly approved influenza vaccines and previously approved vaccines with expanded age indications. Vaccination efforts should begin as soon as the 2010--11 seasonal influenza vaccine is available and continue through the influenza season. These recommendations also include a summary of safety data for U.S.-licensed influenza vaccines. These recommendations and other information are available at CDC's influenza website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu); any updates or supplements that might be required during the 2010--11 influenza season also will be available at this website. Recommendations for influenza diagnosis and antiviral use will be published before the start of the 2010--11 influenza season. Vaccination and health-care providers should be alert to announcements of recommendation updates and should check the CDC influenza website periodically for additional information..."

Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report
" (July 29, 2010) -- The Army today released the Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention (HP/RR/SP) Report, the result of a focused 15-month effort to better understand the increasing rate of suicides in the force. This candid report is intended to inform and educate Army leaders on the importance of recognizing and reducing high risk behavior related to suicide and accidental death, and reducing the stigma associated with behavioral health and treatment. This report represents the next phase in the Army’s ongoing campaign to promote resiliency in a force that has been at war for nearly a decade.

“The dedicated effort behind this report sends a clear message to our force that we take the resiliency of our soldiers and families very seriously,” said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. “This effort is part of our culture to look closely at ourselves, and to make continuous improvements in our capability – but most importantly, to reduce the number of soldiers we lose to suicide.”

“This comprehensive review exposes gaps in how we identify, engage, and mitigate high-risk behavior among our soldiers. After nearly a decade of war we must keep pace with the expanding needs of our strained Army, and continuously identify and address the gaps that exist in our policies, programs and services,” said Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr...."